Southern Africa
Training Digital Climate Advisory services (DCAS) to support climate resilience for smallholder agriculture in Southern Africa
Climate change poses significant challenges to agricultural practices that have traditionally relied on intergenerational knowledge transfer. With the increasing unpredictability of weather patterns, such as the start and intensity of the rainy season, as well as the rise in extreme weather events like floods and droughts, farmers face immense difficulties in sustaining their livelihoods. These challenges are particularly impacting smallholder farmers who heavily rely on rainfall for irrigation, have limited access to resources and insurance, and struggle to cope with climate-related risks. In this context, Digital Climate Advisory Services (DCAS) have emerged as crucial tools to assist farmers and governments in navigating the complexities of climate change.
On behalf of Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA) and hosted by African Development Bank (AfdB), Weather Impact and Aqualinks organised the event “DCAS Training to Support Climate Resilience for Smallholder Agriculture in Southern Africa”, to bring together public and private high-level key change makers from the Southern African region, who have the capacity to implement and scale up DCAS. The training event features plenary sessions, panel discussions, and workshops, with a focus on practical applications, challenges and opportunities in developing, marketing and maintaining DCAS.
This two-day training took place the 27th and 28th of September 2023, and was hosted close to Johannesburg, South Africa, providing participants with an interactive hybrid experience, allowing for both in-person attendance and online participation.
Objectives of the training;
- Share knowledge and promote collaboration among high-level stakeholders in the Southern African region to scale up DCAS for smallholder agriculture.
- Encourage stakeholders in Southern Africa to adopt DCAS by showcasing innovative approaches, best practices, and successful case studies that integrate DCAS into their climate resilience strategies.
- Advocate for future investments to support digital agricultural solutions in countries across Southern Africa.
