Climate Information Services Providers in Kenya

Agriculture is a major driver of the Kenyan economy, contributing 54 percent to the national gross domestic product (GDP) and accounting for 65 percent of total export earnings. Kenya’s GDP growth is highly correlated with the sector’s performance,...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: World Bank Group
Format: Report
Language:English
en_US
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2016
Subjects:
WMO
AIR
ICT
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/02/25961964/climate-information-services-providers-kenya
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/23768
Description
Summary:Agriculture is a major driver of the Kenyan economy, contributing 54 percent to the national gross domestic product (GDP) and accounting for 65 percent of total export earnings. Kenya’s GDP growth is highly correlated with the sector’s performance, and its performance is highly volatile. The frequency and intensity of severe weather events has increased, and will be further exacerbated as a result of climate change. The country’s overwhelming reliance on rain-fed agricultural production systems renders it highly vulnerable to food supply disruptions and shortages. Climate information services (CIS) include immediate and short-term weather forecasts and advisories and longer-term information about new seeds and technologies and market developments. CIS is especially useful in helping farmers to manage risks in what is already an exceptionally risky sector in which to operate, and in offsetting much of the uncertainty that so often constrains decision making and innovation. CIS is a relatively new area in extension service delivery. Case studies reported on in this report reveal that only a small number of Kenyan farmers currently access CIS.