Weathering Climate Uncertainty - A case study on factors influencing the use of Weather and Climate Information Services (WCIS) by smallholder farmers in Tattaguine District, Senegal

Abstract: This research investigates how Weather and Climate Information Services (WCIS) have been used by farmers in the Tattaguine district of Senegal, where rainfed agriculture faces challenges due to increasing climate variability. The study employed qualitative methods, including structured interviews, key informant interviews, and a focus group discussion. The findings reveal high WCIS use rates but less than 50% of farmers use them systematically, and significant gender differences exist. This research argues that the differences can be explained by a lower asset composition of female-headed households, in turn restraining direct access to an accessible format and, thereby, increasing perceived complexity and contributing to less systematic use. The study highlights that household assets are the result of a complex interaction between vulnerability, institutional, political, and sociocultural context and that tradition and gender norms disadvantage women in accessing and deciding over their use. The research also identified three different groups of traditional beliefs and forecasting systems to understand their role in WCIS adoption. While natural indicators are highly compatible and Saltigué highly incompatible with WCIS use, leading to a decline in belief in them, the compatibility of WCIS with traditions in agricultural practice depends on the individual farmer.