Micro-level practices to adapt to climate change for African small-scale farmers:

This paper discusses micro-level practices for adapting to climate change that are available to small-scale farmers in Africa. The analysis is based on a review of 17 studies about practices that boost small-scale farmers' resilience or reduce their vulnerability to observed or expected changes in climate; it includes data from more than 16 countries in Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The review shows that African smallholders are already using a wide variety of creative practices to deal with climate risks; these can be further adjusted to the challenge of climate change by planned adaptation programs. We found 104 different practices relevant to climate change adaptation and organized them in five categories: farm management and technology; farm financial management; diversification on and beyond the farm; government interventions in infrastructure, health, and risk reduction; and knowledge management, networks, and governance. We conclude that adaptation policies should complement farmers' autonomous response to climate change through the development of new drought-resistant varieties and improved weather forecasts, the provision of financial services, improvement of rural transportation infrastructure, investments in public healthcare and public welfare programs, and policies that improve local governance and coordinate donor activities.Climate change, adaptation practices, content analysis, Small-scale farmers, climate risks, Farm management, diversification, risk reduction, government interventions, public welfare programs

Micro-level Practices to Adapt to Climate Change for African Small-scale Farmers

This paper discusses micro-level practices for adapting to climate change that are available to small-scale farmers in Africa. The analysis is based on a review of 17 studies about practices that boost small-scale farmers¿ resilience or reduce their vulnerability to observed or expected changes in climate; it includes data from more than 16 countries in Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The review shows that African smallholders are already using a wide variety of creative practices to deal with climate risks; these can be further adjusted to the challenge of climate change by planned adaptation programs. We found 104 different practices relevant to climate change adaptation and organized them in five categories: farm management and technology; farm financial management; diversification on and beyond the farm; government interventions in infrastructure, health, and risk reduction; and knowledge management, networks, and governance. We conclude that adaptation policies should complement farmers¿ autonomous response to climate change through the development of new drought-resistant varieties and improved weather forecasts, the provision of financial services, improvement of rural transportation infrastructure, investments in public healthcare and public welfare programs, and policies that improve local governance and coordinate donor activities.JRC.DG.J.5-Agriculture and Life Sciences in the Econom

User needs assessment for climate services in Zambia

Between February and April 2021 research was conducted to assess the user needs of selected farmer groups in Zambia for farmer centric agrometeorological information services. Specifically, it aimed to: • Identify the types of weather information and agronomic advice that farmers currently receive, the sources that they use and how satisfied they are with the information they receive; • Better understand the effects of climate variability and change on different agricultural activities and the decisions farmers are able to make; and • Enable farmers to identify what weather and climate information, services and agronomic advice they need and how they would like to access it. The results were then presented to key stakeholders and used in an ideation process to help design potential climate services for implementation at scale. Key findings from the user research are that: • Respondents articulated a demand for information and advice on a range of different weather variables at a range of different timescales to aid both their long-term planning and more immediate decisions. • There is a gap between the climate and weather information and services that are produced (by Zambia Meteorological Department) and those that farmers are accessing. • The complexities of challenges facing respondents, and the variety of different decisions affected, means that addressing these challenges is not simply about the provision of climate information but supporting farmers to contextualise and use this information. Farmers outlined a range of existing practices that they use to address challenges that are related to weather and climate. Many of these practices address multiple challenges and are often proactive rather than reactive options for farmers. • Engaging farmers with climate services requires a range of different and complimentary approaches. Radio is the most commonly used and requested going forward. Extension staff, lead farmers and farmer groups are important sources of information and support in farmer decision making. Climate services products should be designed with the aim to address multiple farmer ‘problems’. For example, information on the amount of rainfall to expect in a season can aid decision making on choice of land preparation and cultivation methods, choice of crop variety, weeding, as well requirements for pest and disease management in cattle

Supporting agri-food projects to implement climate change adaptation through the interactive online tool ‘CRISP’

Introduction International agri-food system programmes are increasingly seeking to mainstream climate action across their portfolios. A range of methods and tools exists, but there is no “ready-to-use” tool that allows a cost- and time-effective climate risk assessment for specific agri-food systems and the development of adaptation hypotheses. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), with Eurac Research and the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), set out to provide an easy-to-use tool that considers the specific characteristics of agri-food systems under a changing climate. Objectives The Climate Risk Planning & Managing Tool for development programmes in agri-food systems (CRISP) is a web-based tool for projects planners and implementers in the agri-food sector. It allows them to identify starting points for climate risk management and develop adaptation hypotheses to backstop their intervention’s design – in a quick and easy way. Methodology Using the impact chain methodology as a framework, we undertook a literature search to identify relevant climate risks in the context of selected agro-ecological systems across five regions. We organised the findings into an extensive knowledge database. We then co-designed a tool with potential users that would allow the database to be queried in different ways depending on the user needs. Findings Potential users of the tool see promise in using it to improve their programming in the agri-food sector. They suggest expanding the knowledge database to include more agro-ecological systems, value chain concepts and national policy-related data. Significance of the work for policy and practice The CRISP tool will help users to identify starting points for climate risk management. The tool provides science-based evidence and linkages to complementary tools and approaches to implement climate actions. It will assist practitioners in the agri-food sector to develop adaptation hypotheses to help guide the project from the planning phase onward

High (but Not Low) Urinary Iodine Excretion Is Predicted by Iodine Excretion Levels from Five Years Ago

Background: It has not been investigated whether there are associations between urinary iodine (UI) excretion measurements some years apart, nor whether such an association remains after adjustment for nutritional habits. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relation between iodine-creatinine ratio (ICR) at two measuring points 5 years apart. Methods: Data from 2,659 individuals from the Study of Health in Pomerania were analyzed. Analysis of covariance and Poisson regressions were used to associate baseline with follow-up ICR. Results: Baseline ICR was associated with follow-up ICR. Particularly, baseline ICR >300 mu g/g was related to an ICR >300 mu g/g at follow-up (relative risk, RR: 2.20; p < 0.001). The association was stronger in males (RR: 2.64; p < 0.001) than in females (RR: 1.64; p = 0.007). In contrast, baseline ICR <100 mu g/g was only associated with an ICR <100 mu g/g at follow-up in males when considering unadjusted ICR. Conclusions: We detected only a weak correlation with respect to low ICR. Studies assessing iodine status in a population should take into account that an individual with a low UI excretion in one measurement is not necessarily permanently iodine deficient. On the other hand, current high ICR could have been predicted by high ICR 5 years ago. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Base

Overview of the MOSAiC expedition: Physical oceanography

Arctic Ocean properties and processes are highly relevant to the regional and global coupled climate system, yet still scarcely observed, especially in winter. Team OCEAN conducted a full year of physical oceanography observations as part of the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of the Arctic Climate (MOSAiC), a drift with the Arctic sea ice from October 2019 to September 2020. An international team designed and implemented the program to characterize the Arctic Ocean system in unprecedented detail, from the seafloor to the air-sea ice-ocean interface, from sub-mesoscales to pan-Arctic. The oceanographic measurements were coordinated with the other teams to explore the ocean physics and linkages to the climate and ecosystem. This paper introduces the major components of the physical oceanography program and complements the other team overviews of the MOSAiC observational program. Team OCEAN’s sampling strategy was designed around hydrographic ship-, ice- and autonomous platform-based measurements to improve the understanding of regional circulation and mixing processes. Measurements were carried out both routinely, with a regular schedule, and in response to storms or opening leads. Here we present along-drift time series of hydrographic properties, allowing insights into the seasonal and regional evolution of the water column from winter in the Laptev Sea to early summer in Fram Strait: freshening of the surface, deepening of the mixed layer, increase in temperature and salinity of the Atlantic Water. We also highlight the presence of Canada Basin deep water intrusions and a surface meltwater layer in leads. MOSAiC most likely was the most comprehensive program ever conducted over the ice-covered Arctic Ocean. While data analysis and interpretation are ongoing, the acquired datasets will support a wide range of physical oceanography and multi-disciplinary research. They will provide a significant foundation for assessing and advancing modeling capabilities in the Arctic Ocean

The need for evidence-based climate risk and adaptation assessments:Lessons learned from the AGRICA project

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A review of selected literature

This paper discusses micro-level practices for adapting to climate change that are available to small-scale farmers in Africa. The analysis is based on a review of 17 studies about practices that boost small-scale farmers’ resilience or reduce their vulnerability to observed or expected changes in climate; it includes data from more than 16 countries in Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The review shows that African smallholders are already using a wide variety of creative practices to deal with climate risks; these can be further adjusted to the challenge of climate change by planned adaptation programs. We found 104 different practices relevant to climate change adaptation and organized them in five categories: farm management and technology; farm financial management; diversification on and beyond the farm; government interventions in infrastructure, health, and risk reduction; and knowledge management, networks, and governance. We conclude that adaptation policies should complement farmers’ autonomous response to climate change through the development of new drought-resistant varieties and improved weather forecasts, the provision of financial services, improvement of rural transportation infrastructure, investments in public healthcare and public welfare programs, and policies that improve local governance and coordinate donor activities.Non-PRIFPRI1; GRP38EPT

Monitoring the prevalence of thyroid disorders in the adult population of Northeast Germany

Abstract Background Only a few studies like ours have investigated the effect of long-term stable iodine supply on thyroid disorders in a historically iodine-deficient population, but not with a long follow-up time of 10 years. Methods Data were derived from two independent population-based cohorts of the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-0 [1997–2001] and SHIP-TREND [2008–2012]) comprising 4308 and 4420 subjects, respectively. Diagnosed thyroid disorders were assessed. Thyroid gland dimensions were examined by ultrasound. Levels of serum thyrotropin (TSH) and autoantibodies to thyroperoxidase (anti-TPO Abs) were measured from blood samples. Results Median urinary iodine excretion levels decreased from 123.0 μg/l to 112.0 μg/l (p = <0.001) between 2000 and 2010. The prevalence of known thyroid disorders increased from 7.6 % [CI 6.9–8.5] to 18.9 % [CI 17.6–20.1] and of thyroid medication use from 6.2 to 11.1 %. The prevalence of goiter decreased from 35.1 to 29.4 % (p = <0.001), while the prevalence of positive anti-TPO Abs decreased from 3.9 to 2.9 % (p = 0.022). Median serum TSH levels increased from 0.69 mIU/L to 1.19 mIU/L (p = <0.001). Consequently, prevalence of high TSH (mIU/L) increased from 2.6 to 2.9 % (p = 0.452), and low TSH (mIU/L) decreased from 6.6 to 6.4 % (p = 0.737). Conclusion The decreased prevalence of iodine-deficient disorders and a stable prevalence of markers of autoimmune thyroid disorders argue for an improved iodine supply of the adult population in Northeast Germany. In contrast, the prevalence of diagnosed thyroid disorders and the intake of thyroid medication increased, although this might be related to inappropriate therapeutic decisions