CHAI – Enabling Farmers to Adapt to Climate Change

In Uganda, where farming is mostly rainfed, drought and erratic weather hit hard and farmers get little information to help them cope. CHAI, implemented by FHI 360 and funded by Canada's IDRC, turned weather and market data into action.

More than 120,000 farmers received seasonal and short-term forecasts, agricultural advisories in their own languages, weekly crop and livestock prices, and low-cost rainwater-harvesting guidance – over SMS, interactive FM radio, community loudspeakers, and print. The design was two-way: farmers texted or called in questions and heard answers live on air.

The project cut crop loss and damage by as much as 65% – worth $474–573 more per household each year – and won the 2023 UN Global Climate Action Awards for Information and Communications Technology Solutions.