SERVIR-Eastern & Southern Africa/RCMRD Hosts Workshop on Satellite-based Frost Monitoring
Tea is a major cash crop in Kenya. Grown in the highlands of Nandi, Mount Kenya and the area around Kericho, it is a source of income for both large- and small-scale farmers. Tea exports account for approximately 4% of Kenya’s GDP. Hence, it is a source of livelihood for thousands of Kenyans.
Frost in Kericho continues to cause crop damage and significant financial losses to tea farmers. Due to changes in climate, the region is reportedly experiencing increased incidences of frost. According to local reports, Kenya lost close to 20 million kilograms (44 million pounds) of green leaf, equivalent to a loss of 1 billion Kenya shillings (almost $10 million USD) during one week in 2012, after a major frost event covered most of the tea growing areas.
The Regional Center for Mapping Resources for Development (RCMRD), SERVIR Eastern & Southern Africa (SERVIR-E&SA), Kenya Meteorological Service (KMS), and the Tea Research Institute (TRI), previously known as the Tea Research Foundation of Kenya) teamed up to mitigate this problem. The main goal of this collaboration was to generate maps for monitoring and forecasting frost in the East African region using near real-time MODIS data. SERVIR-E&SA’s responsibility, in collaboration with NASA, has been to design a frost detection application using the MODIS data. KMS and TRI have been key in obtaining weather information in the tea growing areas, as well as documenting actual frost occurrences.
To brief the participants on the methodology used in this project and to decide how best to capture geo-referenced information on frost occurrences, RCMRD recently hosted a two-day training and user-engagement workshop. The event, called “Satellite Based Frost Mapping and Monitoring using MODIS Data,” was held on 23-24 July 2015. Workshop participants totaled 21 and included officials from the County Government of Kericho; Agriculture and Climate Risk Enterprise (ACRE) Africa, an insurance company; meteorologists from KMS; KMS SERVIR-E&SA Small-Scale Applications awardee; James Finlays, a private tea corporation in Kericho; students from the South Eastern University College; and officials from Kenyatta University and University of Eldoret. Hussein Farah, RCMRD Director General, officially opened the workshop, and James Wanjohi conducted the training sessions.
During the event, participants highlighted issues pertinent to frost mapping and forecasting. The attendees also discussed creating a simple, standard data collection tool to collect a representative sample of frost occurrences within the region during peak frost season. Kenyatta University’s Anthony Gakobo emphasized the need to compile a database of geo-referenced frost occurrences. He remarked, “The discussion is interesting because the need to geo-locate information obtained from the ground is important in identifying frost hotspots.” Richard Muita, from KMS, added, “Frost behavior is spatially different; therefore, to study or model each frost hotspot is important if the forecasting capability of the application is to be improved.”
The workshop participants resolved to work on a common data collection framework that the relevant agencies in Kericho can use to collect data on frost occurrences in the upcoming target season -- January to March 2016. Such data will continue to be used to improve the model. The County Government of Kericho, through their representatives at the workshop, expressed interest in working with SERVIR-E&SA to improve model forecasts. According to Rose Cheptoo, Kericho County Extension Officer, “through the services provided by the Agricultural Extension Officers who are facilitated by the County Government, it is possible to obtain relevant information if proper synergies are put in place.”
The information from the frost mapping and monitoring application will be instrumental in supporting farmers’ efforts in dealing with frost related losses, as well as in providing a spatially explicit record of frost events in the region. With such information, a raft of mitigation measures can be instituted through the relevant agencies and government departments.