The Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture (PICSA Approach

Critical farming and household decisions depend upon the weather, for example, the amount of rain that falls, the length and start date of the rainfall season, the timing of dry spells, and the timing of temperature extremes. Such aspects of the weather vary considerably from year-to-year. PICSA is an approach that aims to help farmers address this challenge and has been used in more than 20 countries across three continents.

PICSA places farmers at the centre of its approach, and helps them to address the above challenges through integrating:

1. Communication of historical climate information, as well as seasonal and short term forecasts, in a way that is relevant and useful for farmers.
2. Exploring crop, livestock and livelihood options available to farmers that may help them deal with climate and weather-related challenges.
3. Using participatory decision-making tools that assist farmers to make informed decisions when planning their activities.