Harnessing Radio and Internet Systems to Monitor and Mitigate Agricultural Droughts in Rural African Communities - Monitoring and Predicting Agricultural Drought: A Global Study - page 281

Conclusions
R ANET is a climate and weather information and communications sup-
po rt network based on the needs of remote communities and the realities
of rural living in Africa. The RANET system, named for its innovative
lin kage of radio and Internet, brings new communications and information
te chnologies together with the oral traditions of Africa to deliver drought
in formation over a distributed network owned and managed by local com-
m unities.
RANET combines data from global climate data banks in the United
St ates, seasonal rainfall predictions from the international scientific com-
m unity, and forecasts generated in Africa, along with food security and
ag ricultural information to disseminate a comprehensive information pack-
ag e via a network of digital satellite, receiving stations, computers, radio,
an d oral intermediaries. These new technologies are bringing drought and
de velopment information to rural Africa through the RANET communi-
ca tion network. The key to RANET's early successes lies in its dual nature
as both a technological and a human communications system. Its human
an d technical elements depend on each other for their combined strength,
bu t at the same time they expose the system to potential pitfalls. Because
R ANET is, fundamentally, a network of people supplying, interpreting,
an d utilizing drought and development information, the tremendous power
of RANET's technology is completely dependent on the network of people
th at manages and maintains RANET's infrastructure and supplies, inter-
pr ets, and utilizes RANET information.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46

[281

Line
——
1.5
——
Norm
PgEn

[281

References
Es kau, S. 2002. Farmers gain from satellite link. The New Vision , Kampala, Ugan-
da, April 3, p. 25.
G lantz, M.H. (ed.). 2001. Lessons Learned from the 1997-98 El Niño: Once
Burned, Twice Shy. UN University Press, Tokyo.
IRI. 2001. Coping with the climate: a way forward. In: Proceedings of the Re-
gional Climate Outlook Forum, Pretoria, South Africa, October 16-20, 2000.
Published on behalf of the Review Organizing Committee, Publication IRI-
CW/01/2. International Research Institute for Climate Prediction, Palisades,
NY.
N OAA. 2002. RANET: using science and technology for people, the environment,
and development. In: Brochure for the World Summit on Sustainable De-
velopment, Johannesburg, South Africa, August 26-September 4, 2002. Of-
fice of Global Programs, Climate Information Project, U.S. National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration. Silver Spring, MD. Available http://www.
ranetproject.net/presentation material/ranet flyer english.pdf.
NOAA. 2003. NOAA's Participation in Radio and Internet for the Communica-
tion of Hydro-Meteorological and Climate-Related Information Program. Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Magazine/NOAA
Home Page. Available http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/magazine/stories/

mag78.htm.