10%

Devil in the data

Local action, global impact: gathering data for better decision-making

July 13^th, 2023

The more we know, the more we grow

Like millions of smallholder farmers in Malawi, Margaret Andiseni relies on her land for her income. It is an occupation that has become increasingly unpredictable.

Extreme climate-induced disasters – from floods and droughts to more powerful storms – are on the rise, with corresponding devastation.

Due to population growth, urbanization, and environmental degradation, food production in rural areas is becoming more difficult, leading to loss of assets and even life.

When Cyclone Freddy hit southern Africa in early 2023, it submerged and washed away hundreds of thousands of hectares of crops across Malawi. Photo: UNDP Malawi

But Andiseni is among 200,000 farmers across 10 districts in Malawi who know that climate hazards can be fought with knowledge.

With accurate, location-specific climate and weather data, farmers like her can make more informed decisions about which crops to plant, or livestock to rear, or which livelihood options to pursue for a better income.

“The [PICSA] mobile app informs us of upcoming weather conditions, enabling us to make proper decisions and cultivate crops which do well in accordance with the forecasted weather. We now cultivate drought-tolerant crops if dry spells are anticipated and yield bumper harvests at the end of the season,” Andiseni says.

Sharing data to support decision-making

‘Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture’ is part of UNDP’s strategy to bring actionable data and affordable digital technologies to those who need them.

Partnering is a key part of this strategy. In Malawi, under the Green Climate Fund (GCF)-financed ‘M-Climes' project, information has been shared with farmers through a partnership with mobile service company Esoko. Because of it, localized climate data and early warnings – including life-saving information on the prevention of COVID-19 – are available faster, to more farmers.

Grassroot data has also been shared in Guyana and Dominica, where communities are being equipped with the skills and knowledge to plan for the impact of more frequent natural disasters and where women are given weather data to plan for drought by using more resilient seeds, or advice on how to get grants and microfinances.

When women have the right data, they can provide better for themselves and communities, and respond faster to shocks. Like many people in Ghana’s rural communities, Mali Yakuba and her family were not able to farm during the dry season. But with alternative livelihood agro-processing training, farmers like her now operate milling machines to process soybeans, shea, and rice into turn them into value-added, profitable products like soy milk, kebabs, and shea butter.

“This dry season, unlike the other ones in the past where we were mostly idle, I might say I make some profits for the family upkeep,” says Mali. Now, more than 11,000 community members, 60 percent of them women, are equipped with knowledge about fish farming, dry season gardening, and honey production.

Novel digital technology to pinpoint threats

Rapidly-advancing geospatial data and novel data sources can support more robust policy decision-making.

In the South Pacific region sea levels are rising at a rate of centimetres over decades. Yet surprisingly, accurate land height measurements did not exist for most of the islands until the Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) system, mounted on state-of-the-art airborne technology, provided data on precise land surface height and sea floor depth.

In Tuvalu, data collected under Green Climate Fund-supported project, found that during highest measured sea levels, 46 percent of the built part of Fogafale Island is essentially below water.

The data has been used by the government to plan safer flood-free zones for buildings. It will be useful for other Small Island Developing States, especially atoll countries that need support to strengthen their coastlines.

The Himalayas

UNDP-supported projects in Nepal have pinpointed glacial lakes at dangerous risk of bursting, causing potentially lethal floods. Records show that, on average, Nepal loses 333 lives and property worth over US$17.24 million each year because of the extreme climate. The data will support evidence-based planning.

Strong partnerships between the governments of Nepal, Tibet, and China; the Global Environment Facility; and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development are what have made systems to mitigate glacier risks so successful.

The identification of potentially dangerous glacial lakes helps reduce the vulnerability of mountain people and settlements downstream. Photo: Shutterstock

In Bhutan, partnerships have led to long-term planning of the country’s legal framework to inform awareness on disaster risk management.

UNDP with the support of the GCF readiness window has also supported a number of open access platforms for adaptation planning, which provide information and data for decision-makers and the public. Ecuador has its adaptation knowledge platform linked to its adaptation plan.

Since 2008, with support from the GCF, Global Environment Facility, and Adaptation Fund, UNDP has supported 3,600 technicians and officials in 46 countries to collect and analyze climate data, while also installing 860 automated weather stations and 245 early warning systems.

This dual investment in capacity-building and infrastructure is crucial; equipping governments and communities with the tools to act on a day-to-day basis for a resilient future.

At the same time, UNDP continues to build the national, regional, and global coalitions necessary for transformative change.

Button Label

À la recherche d’un équilibre

Start publishing stories like this

Devil in the data

Local action, global impact: gathering data for better decision-making

Trois communautés côtières mexicaines œuvrent en faveur d’un tourisme durable et communautaire

Un recorrido por tres costas mexicanas que avanzan hacia un turismo sostenible y comunitario

Tour three Mexican coastal communities working towards sustainable, community-based tourism

Tras casi tres años de guerra, el pueblo del Sudán sigue con la esperanza de reconstruir su vida

À bientôt 3 ans de guerre, le peuple soudanais a hâte de se reconstruire

As the war approaches the 3-year mark, Sudan's people can't wait to rebuild their lives