Browsing by Author "Ata -Baffour Frank"
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- ItemExploring the Need for Developing Impact-Based Forecasting in West Africa(original research, 2020) Nkiaka Elias; Taylor Andrea; Dougill J Andrew; Antwi- Agyei Philip; Adefisa Adesanya Elijah; Ahiataku A Maureen; Ata -Baffour Frank; Fournier Nicholas; Indasi S Victor; Konte Oumar; Lawal Abiodun Kamoru; Toure Awa; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8599-474XWhile conventional weather forecasts focus on meteorological thresholds for extreme events, Impact-Based Forecasts (IBF) integrate information about the potential severity of weather impacts with their likelihood of occurrence. As IBF provides an indication of local risk, there is an increasing uptake of this approach globally. Despite the vulnerability ofWest Africa to severe weather, and the potential benefits of such a risk-based approach for informing disaster risk reduction, IBF remains rarely used in this region. To meet this need, three national workshops were held in Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal with forecasters, project researchers and users of Climate Information Services (CIS) from key sectors (e.g., agriculture, water resources, disaster, risk reduction). In addition, a more localized district level workshop was held in Northern Ghana to explore needs at a subnational scale in Tamale District. The objectives of these workshops were to evaluate the current use of forecast products provided by National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and to explore the potential for applying IBF. Findings indicate a recognition that the quality of forecast products provided by NMHSs in West Africa has substantially improved in recent years. However, challenges remain related to user understanding, clarity about forecast uncertainty, insufficient spatial and temporal resolution of forecasts leading to limited trust in forecasts. The workshops identified high demand for weather information related to storms, droughts and heatwaves in all the three countries. Dust storms were identified as having strong potential for IBF application in both Nigeria and Senegal. To increase the uptake of CIS by users in West Africa, NMHSs will need to develop and implement user-tailored IBF in their normal weather forecast approaches and improve communication channels with user communities. There is an urgent need for governments in West Africa to enhance the capacity of NMHSs to incorporate IBF as a routine forecast activity by first establishing a National Framework for Climate Services with user engagement as a key first pillar.
- ItemGendered perceptions and adaptation practices of smallholder cocoa farmers to climate variability in the Central Region of Ghana(ELSEVIER.COM, 2021) Antwi- Agyei Philip; Jamal Mohammed Alawi; Ata -Baffour Frank; Nkiaka Elias; Antwi Kwabena; Gbordzor Antoinette; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8599-474XUnderstanding gendered adaptation practices among smallholder cocoa farmers is crucial to ensuring sustainable cocoa production in Ghana. This study examined the gendered perceptions and adaptation practices of small- holder cocoa farmers to climate variability in three selected communities (Breman Ayipey, Breman Baako and Breman Kuntanase) in the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District of the Central Region, Ghana. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach including household surveys and focus group discussions with 10 participants in each community. Mann-Kendall trend test was used to determine the rainfall and temperature changes in the study district from 2000 to 2015. Results indicated that there was no significant difference between male and female farmers’ perceptions of climate variability ( p > 0.05). Both male and female farmers perceived an increasing temperature, rainfall, windstorms and flooding for the past 15 years. The Mann-Kendall trend test showed that annual rainfall and temperature had increased over the study period although the trends were not statistically significant ( p > 0.05). Both male and female farmers had resorted to the use of different adaptation practices to reduce the threats of climate variability. There was a substantial difference between adaptation practices used by male and female farmers such as changing planting dates, use of drought tolerant hybrids, shade management, livestock rearing and income from sale of properties ( p < 0.05). The study recommends policy formulations that incorporate gender perspectives into climate change adaptation practices among smallholder cocoa farmers in Ghana.