Our impact collaboration aiming to create more demand-responsive early warning systems tailored to community needs has completed its evidence review phase and is now undertaking field research in Ethiopia and Kenya.

Earlier this year, we launched our impact collaboration on enhanced community early warning systems in the Horn of Africa. 

After an evidence review, field work is about to begin in Kenya and Ethiopia. This community engagement phase aims to understand the barriers communities face to access and use early warning communications channels. It will also identify preferred channels of communications and explore opportunities to integrate community practices and traditional knowledge into early warning systems to improve their effectiveness.

Research teams from i-shamba (Kenya) and Maanshiil Consult (Ethiopia) will carry out focus group discussions and key informant interviews with a cross section of communities in Garbatulla (Pastoral) and Tharaka South (Agro-Pastoral) in Kenya, and in Danot (Pastoral) and Haroreys (Agro-Pastoral) districts in Ethiopia.

The selected communities are diverse covering different agroecological zones, rainfall, sources of livelihoods, types of livestock, remoteness and accessibility. They have differing levels of infrastructure such as access to telecommunications, water, mobility, and proximity to social services like schools and healthcare. This diversity is intentional, so that the engagement truly captures the unique needs of different populations.

The research team will co-design a set of community-based recommendations with the communities, enhancing the communication content and methods between early warning system providers and the agropastoral and pastoral communities in Kenya and Ethiopia. The aim is to improve the effectiveness of crucial early warning systems and the anticipatory actions that communities can take to withstand shocks.

We will publish the evidence review in August 2025, with individual country reports to follow.