African communities seek climate data tailored to their needs

Across Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, and South Africa, people are working to restore ecosystems and manage resources while facing increasing climate threats. Researchers spoke with 530 people involved in nature-based projects, from forest protection to sustainable agriculture, to understand their climate information needs.

These individuals, representing community groups, governments, NGOs, and research institutions, are already using climate information from various sources to guide their work.

The study found that while many want improvements to existing climate services, they also desire new, localized information combining weather forecasts with data on land, water, and local knowledge. More than 80% of those surveyed reported limitations in current climate services, particularly the lack of integration with traditional ecological knowledge. For example, in Turkana, Kenya, local diviners predict weather patterns using indigenous practices that are not connected to official forecasts.

Participants also expressed difficulty accessing timely information, especially those without reliable internet access or smartphones. They requested that climate data be delivered through mobile phones, community radio, and trusted local networks, supplemented by visuals and simplified explanations. The people interviewed want climate services to explain how predicted conditions will affect their specific resources, like grazing land or water availability, and to include information on social, health, and economic impacts.

Over 90% emphasized the importance of incorporating local and indigenous knowledge into new climate services, suggesting collaboration between traditional practitioners and scientists. Researchers found that simply asking people what information they need is not enough, sustained funding and support for collaboration are essential to create truly useful climate tools.