Observations on Zambia’s Crop Monitoring and Early Warning Systems

Abstract

A good early warning system is one that provides timely planning information to a diverse set of stakeholders. While policy makers need very concise messages for quick decisions, aid and development agencies need very specific and detailed information which can help them in programming at grassroots level. This paper reviews Zambia's crop monitoring and early warning systems and suggests practical ways to improve its efficiency and effectiveness, taking advantage of existing and potential synergistic and institutional opportunities.