Bridging the Gap Between
Seasonal Climate Forecasts and
Decisionmakers in Agriculture
Dissemination Program by
Jennifer P.T. Liguton
(ACIAR-PCARRD/PAGASA-PIDS-LSU/
SARDI-NSW DPI-USyd Project Team)
Presented during the Orientation Forum on Climate
Concepts and Seasonal Climate Forecasts for
Decisionmakers in Agriculture, December 1, 2005,
Malaybalay, Bukidnon.

One of the key objectives of the project is to:
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Develop and implement strategies to better match forecasts with decisionmakers’ needs
This entails knowing and understanding:
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How to present SCF information to farmers; and
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How to educate decisionmakers in the use of SCF technologies

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Basic concepts about weather/climate
 various climate phenomena/events
 science of seasonal climate forecasts
 climate variability and risks/uncertainties involved
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Forecasts on rainfall probabilities

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Findings of project’s case studies on both the policy and farm levels especially on the decision points identified and how, when and where the
SCFs may be useful
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Results of the valuation studies of SCFs
how they may be integrated in the risk management decisions of the players in agriculture or those who make key decisions in agriculture, both at the farm level and the policy level.

Basically, the ones making decisions in the and/or affecting the agriculture sector:
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Farmers
– at the farm level
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Policymakers
– at the national level and at the local level such as provincial and municipal agriculturists
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Link sector
– e.g., extension workers, media, researchers, etc.

The challenges involved:
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Content
– What are the key messages to be relayed?
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Manner of presentation – How do we present them? What are the conceptual nuances that we have to consider and look for? In what format?
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Vehicles of dissemination
– How do we reach our intended users/beneficiaries?

Vehicles of dissemination – How do we reach our intended users?
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IEC type of activities
– seminars, fora, lectures, handouts/publications which may be coursed thru various conduits such as those identified in the link sector:
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LGUs (who may be both intended users and conduit/link)
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NGOs
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Researchers/research centers especially those working with farmers or farm groups
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Media, especially local media (provincial radiotelevision stations, local newspapers and media groups), the PIA and possibly, the Dev Com Net, a group of government information officers

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Dialogues with various groups (especially relating to the case studies)
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Farmers groups
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Community leaders/associations/residents
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Leagues of barangays, municipalities and provinces
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Media (community broadcast system)
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Internet
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Other outlets (non-traditional venues like church associations and councils)

What have we done so far?
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Various seminars and fora like:
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Pulong Saliksikan at PIDS (with government technical and policy level representatives)
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Seminar-Workshop at Leyte State University
(with provincial and municipal agriculturists)

Quarterly Climate Outlook Fora of PAGASA
(with various stakeholders)

This Orientation Forum here in Bukidnon, one of the project’s identified case study sites

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Project Launch held on July 27, 2005 to introduce the project and solicit interest, support and feedback from various stakeholders
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Handouts on basic concepts like the El Niño
Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon (for media, LGUs, NGOs)
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Project newsletter
– to provide synopsis on project updates
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Project website
– detailing the project description, objectives and progress of work

[ URL is: http://dirp3.pids.gov.ph/ACIAR ]
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