In Kenya, drought-weary farmers reap rewards of early warnings
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A sophisticated early warning system is helping farmers fight drought and could provide a blueprint for other nations
- UN seeks to protect crops with early warning systems
- Meteorological data, text messages tip off farmers
- System can help reduce famine caused by droughts, floods
When farmer Teresa Kahindi harvested nearly two tonnes of maize two years ago amid a severe drought, her neighbours in the Kenyan coastal county of Kilifi accused her of witchcraft.
Many of her fellow farmers had not produced even a single sack, weighing about 90 kg, of the staple, during the fifth consecutive season of almost no rain in eastern Kenya, where arid conditions can devastate harvests.
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Kenya's early warning system, funded by the government and a patchwork of international agencies, may offer a template for countries to meet the United Nation's 2022 goal to protect "all people on Earth" by 2027 through early warning systems.
The U.N. launched the Early Warnings for All Action Plan for Africa in Kenya's capital of Nairobi last year in an effort to accelerate a slow rollout in other parts of the continent.
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'Last mile'
Research suggests pre-emptive intervention can save billions of dollars. A 2022 report by the World Bank found that spending $1 billion on early warnings can avert $35 billion of disaster-related losses annually.
Another major challenge is disseminating warnings to rural populations.
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