31 August 2012: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has reported that, from July to September 2012, over 120 roving seminars on weather and climate are being held in 15 west African countries. The one-day workshops aim to help farmers become more self-reliant in dealing with weather and climate issues that impact agricultural production.

The roving seminars follow up on a successful WMO pilot project in West Africa, which trained thousands of subsistence farmers on accessing and using weather and climate information to increase preparedness and attain better economic, social, and environmental outcomes for agricultural productivity.

The roving seminars similarly gather farmers from a group of villages to a central location in a given region, and inform them about projected climate change and different adaptation strategies, including tactical crop management. The farmers then provide feedback on weather and climate issues in their farming operations and the nature of assistance they need.

Together with other institutions, the seminars are organized by the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, and are supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. [WMO Press Release] [Roving Seminar Webpage]