• The 154 automatic weather stations cost Sh500 million, funded by World Bank through the Kenya Climate-Smart Agriculture Project.
• One station is at Agricultural Training Centre in Machakos and will help farmers know weather in advance so they can plan, plant accordingly.
Image: GILBERT KOECH
For years, Bernadette Kyanya has been planting maize and beans on eight acres in Machakos county.
And for years, her harvests have been diminishing at an alarming rate as a result of climate change.
“As a farmer, we live by faith. The dry seasons are prolonged, rains are scattered and unpredictable,” she said.
Kyanya said her yield has dropped by 40 per cent.
"On eight acres, I used to harvest 40 bags but for the last three seasons, I've been harvesting only six," she told the Star.
She usually plants in late March and harvests in August.
Rains that usually come in April have failed, leaving her maize stunted. Beans too are stunted.
Three years ago, she used to harvest 10 bags of beans, now there are none.
Kyanya said growing food for subsistence and sale is difficult although she uses farm manure instead of expensive fertiliser.
Recently the weather has been cold, very unusual for this time of year and she has never experience such cold in August.
Because of climate-related problems in agriculture, early this year, the United Nations urged countries to ensure everyone is protected by early warning systems within five years.
The systems will warn against increasingly extreme weather and the effects of climate change.
UN secretary general António Guterres tasked the World Meteorological Organization to present an action plan to achieve this goal at the UN climate conference in Egypt in November.
The announcement was made on World Meteorological Day on March 23. It was themed 'Early Warning and Early Action'.
“Human-caused climate disruption is now damaging every region," Guterres said.
"The recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPCC) details the suffering already happening. Each increment of global heating will further increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events,” the UN chief said.
“We must invest equally in adaptation and resilience. That includes information that allows us to anticipate storms, heat waves, floods and droughts,” he said.
One-third of the world’s people, mainly in the least developed countries and small island developing states, are not covered by early warning systems.
In Africa, 60 per cent of people lack coverage.
“This is unacceptable, particularly with climate impacts sure to get even worse,” Guterres said.
The sixth IPPCC report released in February delivered a stark warning.
It showed that maize yield, a staple for Kenya, will decline by 30 per cent and beans yield by 50 per cent.
On August 3, the Kenyan government commissioned Sh500 million Automatic Weather Stations in 24 counties.
They are funded by the World Bank through the Kenya Climate-Smart Agriculture Project.
Image: GILBERT KOECH
One stations is at the Agricultural Training Centre in Machakos. It is expected to help farmers make informed decisions on crops and planting.
The station is one of 154 set up in 24 counties. They cost Sh500 million funded by the World Bank through the Kenya Climate-Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP).
They include 120 synoptic (summary), 17 Agromet and 17 Hydromet stations.
Other automatic weather stations that give real-time forecasts are in Kajiado, Bomet, Kericho, Kisumu, Siaya, Kakamega, Baringo, Taita Taveta, Tana River, Mandera, Tharaka Nithi and Isiolo counties, among others.
KCSAP is being implemented over five years (2017-2022) under the Ministry of Agriculture, which aims to increase productivity.
Implementing partners include the Kenya Meteorological Department and Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organisation.
Environment PS Dr Chris Kiptoo said Kenya's Met plays a crucial role in socio-economic development by providing timely and accurate forecasts and advisories.
It provides agro-weather, market, climate and advisory services. It aims to enhance and extend them for longer periods.
Kiptoo said the Met has mapped out existing publicly and privately operated Automated Weather Stations. These include agro-meteorological, hydrological and rainfall stations to be improved.
The Met held a workshop with private owners of the Automatic Weather Stations. It has identified sites for installation of new automatic stations to complement existing ones.
“Extreme events such as droughts, severe storms and floods can reverse development gains made and erode livelihoods," PS Kiptoo said.”
He said climate change is exacerbating sustainable development challenges by increasing the frequency and severity of extreme events.
To manage climate risks, decision-makers must understand them and be able to anticipate them.
“A well-functioning climate service can inform both short- and long-term decisions," he said.
The PS urged counties to protect the automatic weather stations against vandals.
Kenya’s Nationally Determined Contribution increases its mitigation commitment from 30 per cent in 2016 to 32 per cent by 2030.
NDCs represent efforts by each country to reduce emissions, adapt to climate change and enhance resilience in all sectors of the economy.
Kenya intends to curb emissions in agriculture, energy, manufacturing, transport, waste and forestry.
Countries are preparing for the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, from November 7 to 18.
African countries will be pushing to have Africa's special needs and circumstances given special attention.
(Edited by V. Graham)