Climate change is a reality that’s shaping every aspect of our lives. One of the biggest challenges we are dealing with is the growing unpredictability of weather patterns. The growing effects and impacts of global climate change have made technological advancements significant in combatting environmental challenges.
Climate scientists are fighting to develop tools and apps that help climate information be easy to share and understand.Wilberforce Seguton, CEO Bunifu Technologies partnered with IGAD Climate Prediction & Applications Centre (ICPAC), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ ), NGOs, and other community organizations to develop the Husika App. The app was launched a month ago in Lodwar, Kenya.
Husika provides vital climate information in simple and accessible language through the mobile application, Short Message System (SMS) and Web feeds. It serves as an early warning system for climate and disaster alerts that disseminate warning and information helping communities prepare and respond to climate risks.
ICPAC is incorporating this product to make it part of its early warning information system. Husika is being piloted in Kenya and part of Uganda to see how early warning information can be disseminated to reach the last mile.There are also plans for the app’s expansion in other parts of the IGAD region.
During a recent interview, CEO Bunifu Technologies, Wilberforce Seguton shared that his desire to make climate conversations more inclusive inspired the name ‘Husika’.
READ MORE: IGAD Weather Forecast for October – December Across Greater Horn of Africa
“The name Husika came in 2016 when we asked ourselves how we could get people involved in the issues of weather change and climate change and weather information because sometimes people can be passive with such things and the effects of climate change and weather pattern change can be catastrophic to people so we decided to have something that has a two-way communication not just one way where people can share their feedback based on the kind of early warning,” Seguton shared.
How the Husika App Works
The app avails end users with alerts and climate information through Short Messaging Service (SMS).
The disseminated information could either be early warning signs i.e. drought updates or weather forecasts to inform users on what is happening and how to avoid risks if any events pose a threat or danger.
” The app has different features. We have alerts which are threats that need the end users attention , if there’s an early warning sign about drought that is coming up. The Kenya Met or NDMA officers inside Husika will send those alerts that come as a red color to mean that it requires urgent attention. We have the typical weather forecast- it can be a daily weather forecast , weekly or monthly.” William shared.
The Husika app enables users to respond to the messages they receive.The messages shared on the platform help users assess conditions on the ground, seek additional updates, and strengthen collaboration.
Broadcasts & Feeds: This is information from different entities that is relevant to weather & climate change or early warning. Officials in different departments can log into the Husika App and broadcast to subscribers on various tags which include agriculture,health and water among others.
Wilberforce revealed that one of the biggest challenges when using the Husika App is the high cost of sending SMS alerts , raising concerns about the app’s long-term sustainability.He shared that the partners are looking to add robust features including integrating artificial intelligence that allows for automated analysis of data from different sources.
Another area for enhancement on the Husika app is the language: “Husika app supports all national languages in the seven IGAD states . We have within Husika a language translation mechanism whereby the administrators of the system / officials of the different entities can use the translator to reach people in their local language. We are still in the process of building language dictionaries to cater to the ethnic entities. If we continue to get more funding and support we can develop local ethnic languages we have in the ethnic region.”
Wilberforce Seguton CEO Bunifu Technologies,has been involved in the company’s growth since 2014. Recently, he was awarded a UK Chevening Scholarship to pursue a Master’s degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Warwick.
He calls for collaboration to enhance Husika’s impact across the Horn of Africa. He shared, “There’s a need for more collaboration for us to have a better impact in the future. It means that we need to come together and have a better standard of climate action and reporting and dissemination.’’
