Browsing by Author "Inguula Odongo, Ronald"
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item An Assessment of the Effectiveness ofWeather Information Dissemination among Farmers and Policy Makers(Sustainability, 2022) Sansa-Otim, Julianne; Nsabagwa, Mary; Mwesigwa, Andrew; Faith, Becky; Owoseni, Mojisola; Osuolale, Olayinka; Mboma, Daudi; Khemis, Ben; Albino, Peter; Owusu Ansah, Samuel; Abla Ahiataku, Maureen; Owusu-Tawia, Victoria; Bashiru, Yahaya; Mugume, Isaac; Akol, Roseline; Kunya, Nathern; Inguula Odongo, RonaldThe changing environment, climate, and the increasing manifestation of disasters, has generated an increased demand for accurate and timely weather information. This information is provided by the National meteorological authorities (NMAs) through different dissemination channels e.g., using radios, Televisions, emails among others. The use of ICTs to provide weather information is recently gaining popularity. A study was conducted in three countries, namely Nigeria, Uganda, and South Sudan to assess the efficiency of an ICT tool, known as “Weather Information Dissemination System”. The study involved 254 participants (Uganda: 71; South Sudan: 133; and Nigeria: 50). The collected primary data were first quality controlled and organized thematically for detailed analysis. Descriptive statistics was used to provide quantitative analysis as well as content scrutinized for qualitative analysis. The results showed that there is a need for timely weather information to plan farming activities such as planting and application of fertilizers and pesticides as well as to manage flood and drought by the water sector and disaster management. Results further showed that the majority of the respondents have access to the technology needed to access weather and climate information. The respondents who received weather information from NMAs noted that the forecast was good. However, they further noted that there is more room for improvement especially with making the forecasts location-specific, ensuring mobile access is adequate in all regions, provision of weather information by SMS (in countries where this service is currently unavailable) and improved timing of the weather information. Finally, uncertainty about the accuracy of weather information and the weather information not meeting specific needs are key barriers to people’s willingness to pay for it (Uganda: 33.3%; South Sudan: 46.1%; and Nigeria: 33.3%). Improved collaborations between the NMAs, ICT service providers, policymakers and farmers will facilitate an effective approach to weather information access and dissemination. Innovative sensitization approaches through the media houses will enable better understanding of weather products and utilization, and access to enabling ICTs would increase access to weather forecastsItem Community views on water demands under a changing climate: The case of River Mpanga Water Catchment, Western Uganda(African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 2021) Mugume, Isaac; Semyalo, Ronald; Wasswa, Peter; Ngailo, Triphonia; Inguula Odongo, Ronald; Lunyolo, Joyce; Tao, SulinDifferent sectors globally are experiencing the impacts of changing climate and water resources are among them. This study was conducted with an aim of examining the community views regarding the effect of changing climate on water demand over the River Mpanga Water Catchment. The study employed a cross-sectional survey using 111 household interviews; 14 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and 27 key informants interviews (KII). This study considered 14 villages and employed a mixed-methods study design. The analysis was conducted using SPSS software to derive the descriptive statistics. Qualitative information was analyzed using content analysis to conduct an in-depth analysis. The study found that the main source of water is tap water (72.1%) and the main use of water in the study area is domestic water use. This study also found that, breakage in water supply especially during the dry season (10 out of 14 FGDs) and poor quality of water especially the tap water due to chemical treatment (11 out of 14 FDGs) were the major challenges of water the community faced. Additionally, this study observed that 15 out of 27 KII considered drought as a major threat and that the area had experienced decreases in rainfall amounts over the months of January and February. Therefore, this study recommends that the providers of domestic water should invest heavily in technologies for improving water quality and amount; ensure sustainable and equitable rationing of water during scarcity; and promote incentives for water harvesting.