Mwea, Kenya – TomorrowNow conducted a needs assessment study to support Kenya’s National Irrigation Authority (NIA) and the Mwea Irrigation Scheme, a critical hub for rice farming, better interrogate their need and utilization of weather data for improved decision making to support their operations.
The assessment aimed to analyze the current weather and climate data landscape, identify gaps, and understand operational challenges with a view to design customized solutions to enhance farm advisories, irrigation management, and agricultural productivity.
The Mwea Irrigation Scheme, spanning 26,700 acres and supporting 11,400 farmers, is a cornerstone of Kenya’s food security. Dominated by the cultivation of the premium Pishori Basmati rice variety, the scheme’s productivity directly impacts the livelihoods of thousands of families and the nation’s rural economy. Effective management of this massive operation hinges on accurate weather and climate insights to optimize irrigation, manage risks, and enhance overall productivity.
Through the TomorrowNow First Mile Project, we are working closely with the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) to assess current practices, identify gaps, and explore opportunities to integrate next-generation weather and climate data into their operations.
Focus Areas
The discussions centered on four key areas: current data usage, data needs, challenges, and the impact of weather data on NIA’s operations.
- Current Weather Data Usage: The assessment reviewed NIA’s use of weather data for irrigation management, including the state of weather stations, types of data collected (e.g., rainfall, temperature, humidity), and its role in decisions like irrigation scheduling and crop management
- Weather Data Needs: Participants identified critical variables such as rainfall and temperature, emphasizing how improved data access could optimize irrigation, planting, water distribution, and pest control
- Challenges: Issues included missing or unsuitable data, limited funding for weather stations, and the lack of high-quality historical and short-term forecast data, all vital for decision-making in rice irrigation
- Impact of Weather Data: The assessment examined measurable outcomes, such as improvements in crop yield, water management, and efficiency, linked to weather data use, while identifying areas for further enhancement
Key Findings
The integration of next-generation weather and climate data holds immense potential to revolutionize the Mwea Irrigation Scheme, tackling critical challenges while creating new opportunities for improved productivity and long-term sustainability.
High-resolution weather and climate data can enable more precise irrigation scheduling, better crop management, and timely responses to changing environmental conditions, ultimately enhancing agricultural efficiency and resilience.
By pairing this data with targeted investments in capacity building, the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) can equip its team and stakeholders with the skills and tools needed to interpret and apply advanced data effectively.
Additionally, fostering robust partnerships with technology providers, research institutions, and development organizations will be critical to ensure the scalability and accessibility of these innovations.
Through these efforts, NIA is well-positioned to fulfill its mandate of sustainable irrigation practices and to improve farmer livelihoods, particularly for smallholder farmers who are highly vulnerable to climate variability.
TomorrowNow’s First Mile Program is uniquely positioned to support this transformation. By driving data-driven innovation and leveraging its expertise in weather and climate services, the project aims to empower smallholder farmers in Kenya and beyond, setting a global benchmark for sustainable and productive agricultural systems.
