The Adcast® Application
ZAMTAPO: Restoring peaceful co-existence in Maradi and Zinder regions
October 21, 2020
Strengthening the capacities of the relevant institutions for a sustainable increase of water storage
October 28, 2020
About this practice
The Adcast® Application is a mobile-based platform that brings together diverse stakeholders acting locally in a given area to address water, agricultural, environmental and other development related activities. The application allows sharing of weather forecast information from Uganda National Meteorological Authority as well as related advisories from public and private sector experts. It also enables farmers or end users to interact on a forum through sharing texts, pictures and videos for peer-to-peer exchange and feedback to advisors. The application, which is already on Google Play, facilitates coordinated multi-stakeholder action and enables the private sector to make profit through selling products and services to the end users.
Entry point
What was/were the main shock(s) that triggered this practice? What was the entry point for the implementation of the practice?
- The Chai project has been implemented in Soroti, Sembabule, Nakasongola and Rakai since 2012 to enhance resilience to climate using climate information dissemination. There were gaps in information delivery (interactive Radio and SMS) and climate action adoption; the content lacked veterinary or livestock of diseases, breeding and range management but rather focused on water, markets and nutrition.
- This practice was initiated to study the strengths and weaknesses of the existing ICT tools used in climate information and advisory service delivery in Soroti, Ssembabule and Nakasongola; and to develop, test and deploy a mobile application using veterinary/ livestock based information to close the gaps in existing ICT tools and assess its effect.
Impact
What are the main social, economic, political impacts?
- Over 100,000 end user received messages including 10-day weather forecast and related advisory information from 46 local market outlets with daily weather data from 22 sub-county weather stations.
- Message content was mainly on water scarcity, market and nutrition information but lacked veterinary information (breeding, disease and livestock management).
- Surveys were carried out using 640 households noting a 35% reduction in crop loss hence increased adaptive capacity.
Main lesson learned summary
What is the main lesson learned about this good practice?
- People are slow with new innovations so it will take some patience on our side to see great levels of adoption.
- Anything involving Payments needs lots of time to first demonstrate value.
- We need more youths and women on the job.
- Private sector is very supportive as long as there is business.
Learn more
Download the powerpoint presentation below to find out more about this best practice
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