Strengthening National and Regional Capacity for Climate Risk Assesment in the Western Agro-Ecological Zone of Rwanda

Through the Integrating Weather and Climate analytics into Agricultural Risk Management or simply Clim-ARM project, led by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), stakeholders in the agricultural value chain at national and regional level are being capacitated in climate risk assessment in order to build their ability to conduct agriculture risk management processes, develop investment blueprints  and inform their climate related decisions.

The Clim-ARM project is being implemented with local partners in Rwanda and Ethiopia. The project aims to draw on the best expertise in agricultural risk management and climate risk and forecast assessment to develop investment blueprints for integrated weather and climate services (WCS) necessary for high impact investments in agricultural risk management. Project focus areas include capacity development, climate, and agricultural risk assessments; stocktaking of ARM tools, services, and practices; co-identification and prioritization of robust intervention pathways for future piloting or scaling; and the development of road-mapped investment blueprints for WCS.

Clim-ARM project bases on the fact that most livelihoods in Sub Saharan Africa depend on small holder farming which is susceptible to climate shocks, hazards, and risks (prolonged droughts, unexpected droughts, storms, floods, delayed rains short term rains, etc.) thereby destroying crops, harvests livestock which result into hunger, malnutrition, and lack of incomes. Women, youth and children are the most affected. WCS for agriculture are key to anticipating and preparing farmers who are most vulnerable to climate risks.