Training on Early Warning for Food Security

Food shortages are a potential problem in Southern Africa. Early warning can help avoid suffering by mobilizing resources as early as possible. While early warning has traditionally been provided by United Nations organizations such as FAO, this tasks has been transferred largely to the countries themselves.

The Regional Remote Sensing Unit in Harare supports National Early Warning Units for Food Security for countries in The SADC region of Southern Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola and Tanzania). In numerous workshops HSS has trained participants in crop forecasting for early warning.

Participants received training in the use of Remote Sensing data, including a number of software tools. AgroMetShell (developed by HSS for FAO) was the cornerstone of the training.