Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
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ing smoothly. Even in sites where only community radio or multimedia
services were established, the communication system still has reduced vul-
nerability for rural populations. In all instances, a well-established radio
network with full broadcast schedules attracted the attention of listeners
who were then exposed to weather information on a regular basis. From
the perspectives of both disaster preparedness and development, RANET
was met with enthusiasm when it was initiated in Niger in 2000 and in
Uganda in 2001.
So
me Limitations
As the RANET system is replicated in other African countries and as po-
tential expansion to Asia and the Pacific is considered, it is important to
explore the advantages and limitations of RANET as a technology and as
a drought-communicating framework. Experiences with RANET in Niger
and Uganda reveal the system's successes and challenges in two very dif-
ferent African contexts.
RANET's powerful radio-Internet communication system risks break-
ing down at two critical junctures: the computer-enabled multimedia link
with the outside world (the main challenge for Niger) and the dissemination
of climate information by word of mouth and radio (the main challenge
for Uganda). In Niger, RANET's efficiency is hindered by the difficulty
of installing and maintaining computer systems in hot and dusty con-
ditions. Technical problems frequently include insufficient knowledge to
hook up parts of the solar power systems, inadequate battery storage,
power surges that burn up computers, sudden losses of power that un-
expectedly shut down the computers, necessitating reinstallation of the
WorldSpace software, and minor malfunctions in FM station equipment
such as tape recorders, microphones, and lights.
Although the RANET field sites in Uganda have had much more success
in installing rural computer systems and maintaining multimedia capabil-
ities, about 20-30% of the multimedia field sites in Uganda were some-
times not operational due to the complications resulting from solar power
fluctuations (Pratt and Stewart, 2002). Other sites suffered from serious
malfunctioning or damage due to improper installation of the solar and
computer equipment, such as hooking up batteries in series rather than in
parallel.
Technical solutions, such as new software that will not require reinstal-
lation after power outages, are being developed to address specific technical
problems. Other areas of technical improvement include reconfiguration
of solar power systems, installation of relay antennas for augmenting the
reach of radio programing, and strengthening the vital digital information
link with the outside world by introducing voice transmission of drought
information over the WorldSpace satellite system. The most pressing tech-
nical issue, however, continues to be the need for ongoing training and
technical support.
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