Climate Change Decision Support Simulation Tools

BITRI Climate Scientists are working on the project developing decision support simulation tools based on scientifically validated indigenous/traditional and conventional knowledge for increasing agricultural production and food security in Africa in the context of a changing climate. The project is funded by the African Union Research Grant Programme through the 10^th European Development Fund. The other partners include the University of Mauritius; Durban University of Technology, South Africa and Kenyatta University. 

The scientists are working on developing easily understood, evidence-based decision support tools (DSTs) which combine indigenous and traditional knowledge (ITK) and formal knowledge on sustainable agricultural technologies, for use by low income farmers and user friendly computer DSTs for medium to high income farms and policy makers. It is expected that they will revalorize African ITK related to sustainable agriculture and will provide an instructional handbook to farmers and policymakers on the use of DSTs for estimation and forecasting of the use of ITK and formal technologies under varying agricultural conditions to enable improved and sustainable agricultural production of selected crops. The Scientists also hope to enable farmers and policy makers to adapt agricultural technologies to climate change through the application of the developed DSTs.