For big decisions, like buying a car, we may do a bit of research; but most of the time, we simply follow our gut feeling as a guide. But do we want those who make decisions on some of the biggest issues in development to also follow their gut instinct? Decision analysis tools can improve the decision making process.
During a “Dragon’s Den” session in Nairobi, researchers and communicators pitched policy recommendations to a panel who provided candid, straightforward and constructive feedback. “If you can’t explain your science to a policymaker, you aren’t going to do any science that’s going to make any difference to anyone,” said panelist Alex Awiti.
In 2009, businesses and farmers operating in Naivasha received a rude wake up call. Lake Naivasha almost dried up. In a basin that supports over 60% of Kenya’s flower industry, accounting for over 1% of the country’s GDP, policy makers and businesses were quick to respond.
You may remember in 2003, 2007 and most recently in 2013 when Sudan was hit with devastating flash floods that displaced hundreds of thousands of people. This left hydrologists and remote sensing specialists, like myself, to wonder how we can better prepare and warn farmers of flood events.
New ICT for agriculture project uses text messages to reach farmers. The SMS service provides information on weather and water use efficiency to farmers in Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia.
Knowing that landscapes are used by different people for different purposes is one step in deciding how to design more effective and equitable interventions. But paying attention to gender and social differences when designing landscape-scale approaches is not the same as achieving gender equity.
The Sudd wetland of South Sudan is one of the largest tropical wetlands in the world. However, despite covering an area twice the size of Spain in the wet season, very little is known about the number of people it supports or the current state of its biodiversity.
