Towards establishing an effective data management system in Tanzania: A comparative analysis of scientific climate data and farmers’ perception of climate change and variability

Abstract

This paper examines and compares farmers’ perceptions of climate change with climate data from the Tanzania Meteorological Agency from 2002 to 2011. Data was collected from Singida and Dodoma regions in Tanzania using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews were used to collect qualitative data. Quantitative data were derived from climatic records and semi-structured interviews. Key survey findings indicate that farmers perceived increased temperatures and unpredictable rainfall patterns. Findings based on weather data also confirmed erratic rainfall patterns and increased temperature and showed corroboration between farmers’ perceptions and scientific evidence from climate data. To promote accuracy and reliability of climate data in decision-making, the study recommends the use of mobile phone devices and cloud computing technology to foster timely collection of weather data and proper record-keeping. It suggests that a clear policy framework should be formulated to guide controlling and managing of weather data records from initial production to their final deposition centre.

Keywords: Agriculture sector; climate change adaptation; climate data; climate change perception; meteorological data management