Climate information services available to farming households in Northern Region, Ghana

TY - JOUR

T1 - Climate information services available to farming households in Northern Region, Ghana

AU - Baffour-Ata, F.

AU - Antwi-Agyei, P.

AU - Nkiaka, E.

AU - Dougill, A.J.

AU - Anning, A.K.

AU - Kwakye, S.O.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 American Meteorological Society.

PY - 2022/4/1

Y1 - 2022/4/1

N2 - Climate information services can build the resilience of African farmers to address the increasing threats associated with climate change. This study used household surveys with 200 farmers and focus group discussions to identify the types of climate information services available to farming households in two selected districts (Tolon and Nanton) in the Northern Region of Ghana. The study also identified the dissemination channels and the barriers faced by farmers in their access and use of climate information services for building climate resilience in Ghanaian farming systems. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the determinants of farmers? access to climate information services. Results show that 70 temperature, and windstorms in the form of daily and weekly weather forecasts, with only very limited availability and use of seasonal climate forecasts. Radio, television, and advice from extension agents were reported as the major dissemination channels by study respondents. A majority of the farmers reported lack of communication devices, mistrust in weather and climate forecasts, and lack of visual representations in the forecasts as major barriers to access and use of climate information services. The results highlight the importance of timely and reliable access to climate information services in enhancing farmers? decision-making capacities and the need for training and recruitment of more extension agents to work with farmers on linking climate information services to targeted actions on crop and land management.

AB - Climate information services can build the resilience of African farmers to address the increasing threats associated with climate change. This study used household surveys with 200 farmers and focus group discussions to identify the types of climate information services available to farming households in two selected districts (Tolon and Nanton) in the Northern Region of Ghana. The study also identified the dissemination channels and the barriers faced by farmers in their access and use of climate information services for building climate resilience in Ghanaian farming systems. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the determinants of farmers? access to climate information services. Results show that 70 temperature, and windstorms in the form of daily and weekly weather forecasts, with only very limited availability and use of seasonal climate forecasts. Radio, television, and advice from extension agents were reported as the major dissemination channels by study respondents. A majority of the farmers reported lack of communication devices, mistrust in weather and climate forecasts, and lack of visual representations in the forecasts as major barriers to access and use of climate information services. The results highlight the importance of timely and reliable access to climate information services in enhancing farmers? decision-making capacities and the need for training and recruitment of more extension agents to work with farmers on linking climate information services to targeted actions on crop and land management.

KW - Climate change

KW - Climate services

KW - Decision-making

KW - Resilience

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85130702899&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1175/WCAS-D-21-0075.1

DO - 10.1175/WCAS-D-21-0075.1

M3 - Article

VL - 14

SP - 467

EP - 480

JO - Weather, Climate, and Society

JF - Weather, Climate, and Society

IS - 2

ER -