REAP’s Target 3 calls for investment in early warning systems that support ‘last/first mile’ communities to take early action. And yet, even though investment in early warning systems is rapidly increasing across the world, the last/first mile impact remains elusive – an issue raised repeatedly in REAP’s State of Play reports.
Organisations like Practical Action, Jokalanté and AGRHYMET are working to change that through their project titled Strengthening Flood Resilience through Improved Early Warning Systems in Senegal and Niger (Renforcer la Résilience face aux Inondations grâces à l’amélioration des Systèmes d’Alertes Précoces au Sénégal et au Niger – ResAlert). Thanks to a grant from the Weather and Climate Information Services in Africa (WISER Africa) programme, the new initiative, introduced by Practical Action, aims to support communities in Senegal and Niger to build resilience through flood preparedness – enabled by early warning systems that are designed by and for the community. Most important, the work will build local leadership and prioritise long-term sustainability, ensuring that even after the project finishes, local institutions and community members can maintain and benefit from the system.
The project will be guided by Practical Action’s novel “Missing Voices Approach”, which “involves proactive efforts to listen to the experiences of marginalised individuals...the Missing Voices Approach is specifically designed to listen to those who are less heard and use that insight to shape the decisions that affect their lives.” In Senegal, the project partners will use the approach to integrate gender, equality and social inclusion factors, and the needs and perspectives of marginalised communities. By actively involving these often-overlooked voices, the project will ensure that the early warning systems provide technological solutions while also being socially inclusive, reaching the most vulnerable populations.
The expertise of Jokalanté will also be critical to make sure that the early warning systems work for the communities they are designed to serve, by ensuring they improve access to information which community members can act upon. This is a crucial element of REAP’s Target 4 – that early warning systems are supported by effective risk communication. With its experience of disseminating climate information services using local languages and local media, Jokalanté will provide the key link to ensure that the early warnings are turned into early action.
This project builds on previous learning, including work in Senegal which demonstrated the power of better information in building community resilience. It also draws lessons learned from a Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance Post-Event Review Capability study, which provided critical insights into the need to improve the effectiveness of climate information services and early warning systems during the 2020 floods in Thiès, Senegal.
The goal of the project is to create robust, community-centered early warning systems that can significantly reduce the impact of floods, and by combining cutting-edge technology with a deep understanding of local contexts and needs, these systems are poised to offer timely, accurate warnings that empower communities to take early action.
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Practical Action is an international development group, building sustainable lives and livelihoods with people on the frontlines of poverty and climate change. Practical Action works alongside communities to develop sustainable, locally owned solutions for agriculture, water and waste management, climate resilience and clean energy, to share what works with others, accelerating solutions that bring about big change.
Jokalanté, a social enterprise, was co-founded by Practical Action in 2015. Its name means ‘dialogue’ in the Wolof language, and it is delivering a range of innovative ICT-enabled services to support uptake of emerging agricultural technologies. By combining local language radio broadcasts and mobiles phones, Jokalante can reach more than 600,000 producers across Senegal.
AGRHYMET is the West Africa and Sahel Regional Climate Center, a specialised institute of the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS).
The WISER Africa programme is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and managed by the UK Met Office.