Localized Weather Reports = Successful Harvests

Early Warning Early Action/Farmers Information System (EWEA/FIS) is a World Vision project piloted in Mali with financial support of World Vision US and a private foundation called Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropy (MACP).

EWEA / FIS project aims to strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers in Kolokani and Diéma districts through the dissemination of relevant early warning information for good livelihood decision-making, increased productivity and good risk management for disasters and shocks.

In the face of climate change in the world, the negative effects of which are felt in sub-Saharan Africa, farmers are no longer able to use ancestral/traditional methods to predict climatic events because they are now ineffective. Therefore there is a real need for tailored climatic and meteorological information to inform these farmers to strengthen their resilience in the face of climate change.

This vulnerability faced by smallholder farmers led World Vision Mali, through its project, in partnership with the National Meteorological Agency (Mali Météo), to install an automatic weather station in the commune of Diangounté Camara, Diéma district, Kayes region.

"This new meteorological station will allow us to have the information we need on time, we will be able to properly determine the start of the rainy season."

Mady Hawa Silamatou, a farmer leader said, "this new meteorological station will allow us to have the information we need on time, we will be able to properly determine the start of the rainy season. This will allow us to start planting on time. With this weather station we will be able to increase our production will based on reliable information given on time."

Aguibou Ba: Responsible of Monitoring and Evaluation of the Agriculture Sector, added, "such partnerships need to be encouraged. This new station is part of a synergy of action between Mali and the NGOs. She will bring revolutionary change to traditional agricutural methods."

The station is equipped with several sensors allowing it to automatically take the temperature, the humidity, the rainfall, the speed, the wind direction, the duration of insolation, etc. A solar panel also ensures the station's energy autonomy. The data collected is directly upload to the database of the National Meteorological Agency in Bamako.

"such partnerships need to be encouraged. This new station is part of a synergy of action between Mali and the NGOs."

Bakary MANGANE, Mali Météo National Director's Representative, expressed his joy. “I am very happy for the realization of this automatic meteorological station. The realization of weather stations is part of Mali Météo mission, and World Vision Mali, through its project EWEA / FIS, did this work for us because of the partnership we have. I can only welcome the initiative and congratulate World Vision. This station can cover up to about a 60 km radius. It sends the data directly to Mali Météo servers in Bamako. It does the job it normally takes 5 agents to do.” 

This donation, worth more than 23 million FCFA, financed 85% by World Vision and 15% by Mali Météo, will help strengthen the network of the National Agency of Meteorology (Mali Météo) for the provision of relevant weather forecasts, reliable and localized to inform farmers, making them more resilient.