Zoning and mapping
as agrometeorological services
in developing countries:
preconditions and requirements
in a checklist for action
C.J. Stigter, Agromet Vision, Bruchem, Netherlands
Nawal K.N. Al-amin, Sudan University of Science
and Technology, Khartoum, Sudan
1
We consider
belonging to
agrometeorological
services:
2
All agrometeorological & agroclimatological knowledge and
information that can be directly
applied to try to improve and/or
protect the livelihood of farmers.
So yield quantity & quality and
income, while safeguarding
the agricultural resource base
from degradation.
3
From the beginning we considered
as good example
of such agrometeorological
services:
the products of agroclimatological
characterization, obtained with
whatever methodologies.
4
Agroclimatic zoning (characterization)
is most simply seen
as the division of an area
according to the favourablity
for agriculture.
The separation of taxonomic agroclimatic units
(belts, zones, districts, regions) which differ
in climatic resources.
5
Characterization methods
(in seven areas, following Bishnoi)
general agricultural suitability
 choice of crops, varieties, growing seasons
 soil-climatic zones for cropping (systems)
 flexible crop planning, covering risks
 improvement in crop productivity
 assessment of potential productivity
 exploitation of agroclimatic resources for specific
purposes

6
GISs successfully focus primarily on
capturing, storing, displaying
“natural capital”
but much more recently also depict
socio-economic indexes and variables
Scales and details of the datasets
are generally not adequate at farm level.
They can support advisory services
and contribute to setting
the agricultural research agenda
7
Mapping activities
with increasing complexities
Basic research support for mapping
 Mapping to support basic policy and design
decisions for applied research and development
 More complex mapping to support decision
preparations of government institutions and/or well
to do farmers
 More complex mapping to serve poorer farmers
and/or related NGOs

8
Basic research to support mapping
<> Map language (Anji Reddy)
<> Tree crown projections (TTMI-Project, Tanzania)
<> Radiation measurements in all evaporation
calculations: instrument comparisons, data
quality checking, data consistency investigations
(DAP-Project, Tanzania)
<> Example of areal cloudiness: Campbell Stokes and
satellite data, sample frequency of twice a day
Conclusion: it is possible in developing countries to
do research that contributes to better mapping 9
Just the ordinary service of
research to research, science to science.
It implies for agromet services
Precondition:
@ best level trustable science
Requirements:
@ best operational use of basic data
@ appropriate basic quality education
(in agrometeorology)
10
Mapping to support
basic policy and design decisions
for applied research and development
<> Ordinary cases (TTMI, Sudan, Kenya, Nigeria):
# soil moisture sampling in cracking clay
# wind mapping in a hedged agroforestry system
# sand mapping (shelterbelt, around single trees)
# root mapping in multiple cropping
Conclusion: it is possible in developing countries to
use ordinary mapping fruitfully in design research
11
12
Just the service of mapping
to applied research and design studies.
It implies for agromet services
Precondition (additional):
@ knowing regional details of the
research questions encountered
Requirements (additional):
@ best use of relevant basic operational
research results obtained elsewhere
@ relevant basic policy decisions
underlying the research requests
13
More complex mapping to support
decision preparations of government
institutions and/or well to do farmers
<> general examples but their use as such in the
gray literature (example of Baradas in Malaysia)
<> China as exception of using disaster mapping in
books (CAMS Annual Report); UN
<> 20 volumes Agricultural & Forest Meteorology (5
examples, 1.5 %, only 2 from developing countries)
<> 6 volumes (24 issues) WMO Bulletin (1999, 2000,
2001: basically nothing; 2002: little increase, 2003:
14
real change in the making; 2004: very much).
Conclusion: supportive mapping is in applications,
but generally not supporting decisions
<> specific examples (Israel: Lomas et al.; Portugal:
Stigter jr.; Sudan: this paper)
<> decision makers can conclude from the
interpretation of pictures, in the case of Sudan
supported by groundtruth, where and how protective
measures should be designed.
The above means that already earlier derived tough
preconditions demand additional prioritization and
additional scientific choices for the applied research
15
necessary to develop priority services.
SI Vulnerability map
Campina de Faro
Campina da Luz
16
Groundwater quality maps
(Based on NO3-, Cl-, SO42-, Ca2+ and indirectly pH, NO2- and PO43-)
High
qual.
Not
potabl.
Low
qual.17
18
19
20
It implies for agromet services
Preconditions (additional):
@ appropriate problem selection,
together with decision makers for whom
agrometeorological services
have to be developed
@ appropriate knowledge selection,
to develop the required applied research
focused on services
21
Requirement (additional):
@ to determine appropriate
policy environments for action
on agrometeorological services,
what can be done within the present
policy environment (preparedness),
and what policies may be necessary
in the future
for the agrometeorological services
to be applied
22
More complex mapping to serve
poorer farmers and/or related NGOs
<> CGIAR decision on connecting their GISs on
agricultural environments in developing countries:
agroecological studies excluding socio-economic data;
ten years later: “sustainability” concept at UNCED
<> no old literature examples
<> CAgM report on communication of agromet info
(Isabirye, in line with Murthy and Stigter; internet ??)
<> Carvajal, private communication to Rossi
<> INSAM contest on best examples of
agrometeorological services
23
“Climatic Type” by Thornthwaite







Highly Humid
(Tropical rain
forest)
Humid
(Tropical
monsoon)
Sub humid
(Tropical
grassland)
Arid
Temperate
humid
Temperate dry
Humid high
barren plain
7
6
2
4
1
3
5
24
It implies for agromet services
Precondition (additional):
@ knowing poor farmers’ needs the way
they see them
25
Requirement (additional):
@ liaisons with farmers, related NGOs
and other related decision makers
on what they did
(traditional preparedness, coping and
adaptation strategies),
what they can do and what they want to do
within the policy environment for
agrometeorological services
(disaster preparedness and mitigation;
land use improvement)
26
It can be confirmed from these
lastly added precondition and requirement that
with respect to the livelihood of poorer farmers,
bridging the gap between agrometeorological
advisory products and such farmers
remains the main task of agrometeorologists
for the nearest possible future
27
This confirms conclusions from a CAgM
Management Group meeting in Brazil.
We felt that applied researchers need help
in bridging the gap.
Therefore I also pleaded for training of
agrometeorological intermediaries
in extension for and training of
farmers as decision makers.
28
The same preconditions and
requirements apply to other
agrometeorological services
for poorer and formally less educated
farmers
The sequence in each list is now
that of a checklist for action
29
It is these days recognized that
sustainable land management
is predominantly
a conflict resolution issue
among the major stakeholders
30
Summary of preconditions

knowing poor farmers’ needs the way they see them

appropriate problem selection, together with decision
makers for whom agrometeorological services
have to be developed

knowing regional details of the research questions
encountered

appropriate knowledge selection, to develop the
required applied research focused on services

best level trustable science
31
Summary of requirements

liaisons with farmers, related NGOs and other related
decision makers on what they did (traditional preparedness, coping and adaptation strategies), what they can
do and what they want to do within the policy environment for agrometeorological services (disaster
preparedness and mitigation; land use improvement)

to determine appropriate policy environments for action
on agrometeorological services, what can be done within
the present policy environment (preparedness), and
what policies may be necessary in the future for the
agrometeorological services to be applied
32
Summary of requirements (cont.)

relevant basic policy decisions underlying the research
requests

best use of relevant basic operational research results
obtained elsewhere


best operational use of basic data
appropriate basic quality education (in agrometeorology)
33