The WaterApps project aims to develop tailor made water information services with and for farmers in the urbanising deltas of Accra (Ghana) and Khulna (Bangladesh), to improve water and food security. Bringing together a diverse range of organisations, WaterApps takes a three-pronged approach:
- Combining mobile information technology (like apps) with latest insights on knowledge sharing.
- Integrating weather model results with observations of groundwater trends and river flows.
- Attuning knowledge about adaptive decision making and enabling governance structures to local situations.
The project is funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and is coordinated by the Water Systems and Global Change group at Wageningen University & Research (WUR). meteoblue is a partner of WaterApps and provides premium weather information and forecasts for Tamale and Ada (Ghana) as well as Khulna (Bangladesh), and further locations.
In the past, farmers had limited access to specific weather and climate information that is crucial for daily farming activities. A WaterApps team visited local farmers in their villages and educated them on how to take advantage of weather information for farming and daily life. The extensive high quality local weather information available for free on the meteoblue web site was an ideal teaching aid. As a result, meteoblue has become popular amongst the local farmers and general public in the area. To quote Samiron Golder, farmer in Khulna (full story):
“As a farmer, my aim is to be engaged with modernisation. We should not be afraid of natural disasters, but by being engaged with weather information services we can try to reduce the risks of disasters. [...] With our many disappointments, the meteoblue forecast information is like a piece of light for us.”
Also see how Ela Ganguli, a local farmer and agricultural adviser in Khulna, Bangladesh, describes her experience in helping shape climate information services.
meteoblue is pleased to support WaterApps in helping to improve water and food security and to contribute towards sustainable agriculture in Bangladesh and Ghana. We look forward to further development of the project.
