Monitoring system for early warning in pastoral systems | Institutional Innovations (Innovations, Training Services & Management Practices)
Description of the technology or innovation
The monitoring system for early warning in pastoral systems is asummary of weather indicators, their interpretation and reliability to the communities.Community-based early warning systems are essential in empowering communitiesto prepare for and confront natural hazards. The main objective is to transform“at-risk†communities into prepared “disaster-resilient†communities. Regionaland local variations with regard to deployment of monitoring systems for earlywarning in pastoral systems occur because every community does not have thesame approach to facilitating community-based systems, and the contexts andstarting points are different. The indicators for the monitoring system put togetherare based on an interesting pool of experiences with all of them comprisingelements of equipping communities at risk.
Assessment/reflection on utilization, dissemination & scaling out or up approaches used
Current situation and future scaling up
The monitoring system is a one-stop resource for information on imminentweather events to inform prompt action by pastoral communities. No indicationof gender sensitivity or inclusiveness. The monitoring system is a usefulresource for transforming “at-risk†communities into prepared“disaster-resilient†communities. The monitoring system informs the preparationsfor and timely response to extreme weather events which saves farmers fromsevere yield losses and probably malnutrition and famine. The early warningsystem provides the following benefits: (i) improves preparedness of communitiesfor extreme weather events; (ii) reduces crop and animal losses due to extremeweather events; (iii) has no direct cost to farmers; (iv) it’s gender neutral; (v)increases community resilience against disasters; and (vi) reduces impact ofextreme weather events on communities. It’s recommended that this innovation, beintegrated into the climate adaptation strategies for pastoral communities inthe target areas.
Economic Considerations
The monitoring system or innovation can avert losses that wouldarise if no precautionary measures were taken. In addition, the system is quiteaffordable as a wealth of information can be accessed within the samemonitoring system.
Gender considerations
The innovation is gender neutral and isintended to benefit all members of the communities, including vulnerable andmarginalized groups. The monitoring system particularly addresses the contextand situation of women farmers, who are greatly affected by extreme weathereffects.
Contact details
Muthiani, E.N;
Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organization (KARLO)-Kiboko;
P.O. Box 12-90138;
Makindu- Kenya.
Zewdu, E;
Yabello Pastoral and Dryland Agriculture Research Center;
P. O. Box 85;
Yabello, Ethiopia.
Kaganda, S;
Livestock Production Research Centre – (LRC) Mabuki;
P. O. Box, 352;
Mwanza, Tanzania.
Ogillo, B. P;
Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organization(KARLO)-Kiboko;,
P.O. Box, 12-90138;
Makindu, Kenya.
Mnene, W.N;
Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organization(KARLO)-Kiboko;
P.O. Box, 12-90138;
Makindu, Kenya.
Hussein, N;
Yabello Pastoral and Dryland Agriculture Research Center;
P. O. Box 85;
Yabello, Ethiopia.
Adane, D;
Yabello Pastoral and Dryland Agriculture Research Center;
P. O. Box 85;
Yabello, Ethiopia.
Additional information
Table below provides details aboutindicators of drought, their interpretation and reliability by communities
| Rain Indicator | Community | Observed status | Duration to event | Quantity of rain | Reliability |
| Animal indicators | |||||
| 1.Hyena | 1. Orma | 2. 1 or 2 hyenas make a characteristic sound | 3. 1-3 days | 4. Heavy | 5. Highly reliable |
| 2.Livestock | 6. Taveta | 7. a) Calves jumping, restive b) Hyperactive | 8. 1 week 1 month | 9. 1. Moderate rainfall | 10. 1. Highly reliable |
| 11. Borana | a) Refuse to go back to the boma /kraal b) Cows have strong affiliation to calves c) Cattle run around warmly d) The bulls show good libidos and mating | 12. not conclusive | 13. Not conclusive | 14. Reliable | |
| 15. Sukuma | 16. Become excited during drought | 17. Does not indicate | 18. Does not indicate | 19. Reliable | |
| 3.Observation of livestock intestines | 20. Borana Il Njemps | a) Very thick (fatty) b) The veins (roots) are clearly observable c) White in color | 21. Depend on structure of vein | 22. Difficult tell amounts | 23. Not reliable |
| 24. Endorois | a) A lot of blood in the veins b) No blood in the veins | 25. Does not indicate | 26. i). Good rains ii). Bad rains | 27. Highly reliable | |
| 4.Ante eater (Luma) | 28. Taveta | 29. Drilling of numerous holes in the ground | 30. 1 month | 31. normal | 32. Highly reliable |
| 5.Frogs | 33. Orma | 34. Croak | 35. 1 month | 36. Moderate to heavy | 37. Reliable. |
| 38. Taveta | 39. Croak | 40. 1 month | 41. Moderate | 42. Highly reliable | |
| 6.Small pink frogs | 43. Taveta | 44. Appear and croak | 45. 1 month | 46. Moderate | |
| Birds | |||||
| 7.Owl Turomu- (Wailwana) | 47. Orma | 48. Makes sound ‘woo’ | 49. Less than 1 month | 50. Heavy or moderate based on type of sound | 51. Reliable |
| 52. Wailwana | 53. Makes noise throughout the night | 54. 1 day | 55. Moderate | 56. Reliable | |
| 8.Udude | 57. Orma | 58. Makes characteristic chirp | 59. 1 month | 60. Moderate to heavy | 61. Reliable |
| 9.Mashundi | 62. Taveta | 63. Makes characteristic chirp in the morning | 64. 1month | 65. Moderate | 66. Highly reliable |
| 10.Dudumizi | 67. Taveta | 68. Flocks appear chirping | 69. 1 month | 70. Moderate | 71. Highly reliable |
| 11.Mbaiwayu | 72. Taveta | 73. Flocks appear flying in characteristic patterns | 74. 1 month | 75. Moderate | 76. Highly reliable |
| 12.Lakkam | 77. Borana | 78. Produce a characteristic chirp at night | 79. 2 days | 80. Amount not inferred | 81. Reliable |
| 13. Mugwogwo | 82. Wailwana | 83. Make sound ‘Mugwogwo’ several times | 84. Rain continues | 85. Heavy | 86. Reliable |
| Insect indicators | |||||
| 14..Termites | 87. Orma | 88. large numbers on the ground | 89. Immediately | 90. Heavy | 91. Reliable |
| 15.Red ants | 92. Orma | 93. large numbers on the ground | 94. Immediately | 95. Heavy | 96. Reliable |
| 16.Fagata | 97. Wailwana | 98. Very many found on the ground | 99. Does not indicate time | 100. Amount not inferred | 101. Highly reliable |
| 17.Insects (Many types) | 102. Sukuma | 103. Very many & forage on virtually all plants | 104. 1-2 months | 105. Not indicated | 106. Reliable |
| 18.Butterflies | 107. 1.Taveta | 108. Many butterflies flying in one direction | 109. 1 month | 110. Moderate rainfall | 111. Highly reliable |
| Human Activity | | ||||
| 19.Human activity | 112. Taveta | 113. Opening up of farms in higher attitudes | 114. 1 month | 115. Moderate floods | 116. reliable |
| 20.Children | 117. Orma | 118. Sing asking God to bring | 119. Immediately | 120. moderate | 121. Highly reliable |
| 21.Seers | 122. Sukuma | 123. Dream of weather conditions | 124. 1 months | 125. Does not indicate | 126. Not reliable |
| Astronomical Indicators | |||||
| 22.Sun | 127. Orma | 128. A circle forms around the sun | 129. 1-2 weeks | 130. Half circle – low -Full circle - heavy | 131. Reliable |
| 23.Star | 132. Borana | a) Particular star turns white b) Star appear earlier than normal time seen | 133. 1-2 months | 134. Difficult tell amounts | 135. Reliable |
| 136. Ilnjemps | a) Female star moves from East to West b) Female star disappears & reappears in the North | 137. Not defined | 138. i). Good rains ii). Bad rains | 139. Highly reliable | |
| Plant indicators | |||||
| 24. Delonix elata (Sukela) | 140. Orma | 141. Produce flowers | 142. 1-2 months | 143. Mild to Heavy | 144. Reliable |
| 25. Warabreb | 145. Orma | 146. Produce flowers | 147. 1-2 months | 148. Mild to Heavy | 149. Reliable |
| 26. Halakesa | 150. Orma | 151. Produce flowers | 152. 1-2 months | 153. Mild to Heavy | 154. Reliable |
| 27. Haye | 155. Orma | 156. Produce flowers | 157. 1-2 months | 158. Mild to Heavy | 159. Reliable |
| 28. Adansonia digitata (Baobab) | 160. Taveta | 161. Leaves sprout | 162. 1 month | 163. Moderate rainfall | 164. Highly reliable |
| 29. Salvadora persica ( Mswaki) | 165. Taveta | 166. Flowers | 167. 1 month | 168. Moderate rainfall | 169. Highly reliable |
| 30.Commiphora spp | 170. Borana | 171. Produce new buds and flower | 172. 1 month | 173. Does not indicate amount | 174. Reliable |
| 31. Mango | 175. Wailwana | 176. It gives a lot of flower | 177. Immediately | 178. Good rains | 179. Highly |
| 180. Sukuma | 181. Gives a lot of flowers | 182. 1 month | 183. Good rains | 184. Reliable | |
| 32. Aruet | 185. Endorois | 186. Sheds leaves and sprouts | 187. 3-4 weeks | 188. Normal | 189. Reliable |
| 33.Acacia tortilis | 190. Endorois | 191. Sheds flowers | 192. 3-4 days | 193. Normal rains | 194. Not reliable |
| 34.Acacia mellifera (Kikwata) | 195. Taveta | 196. Sprouting of leaves | 197. 1 month | 198. Ample rainfall | 199. Highly reliable |
| 35.Ndiga | 200. Sukuma | 201. Continues to grow during drought | 202. 2-3 months | 203. Good rains | 204. Reliable |
| Physical features | |||||
| 36.Mt Kilimanjaro | 205. Taveta | 206. Peaks covered with a lot of snow | 207. 1 month | 208. normal | 209. Highly reliable |
| 37.Mt Ugweno | 210. Taveta | 211. Glowing at peak | 212. 1 month | 213. Normal | 214. Highly reliable |
| 38. Lake Challa | 215. Taveta | 216. Characteristic (rough waves) sound in July | 217. 2-3 month | 218. Normal | 219. Highly reliable |
| Meteorological indicators | | ||||
| 39.Wind | 220. Taveta | a) Blowing from North to south b) A lot of whirwinds | 221. 1 month | 222. Normal | 223. Reliable |
| | 224. Il Njemps | 225. Blowing from North to South | 226. 1 month | 227. Normal | 228. Reliable |
| 40. Lightning and Thunder | 229. 1.Taveta | 230. Lightning and thunder in the horizon | 231. 1 week | 232. Moderate rainfall | 233. Highly reliable |
| 42. Skies | 234. Taveta | 235. Lighting and thunder in the horizon | 236. 1 week | 237. Moderate rainfall | 238. Highly reliable |