Food production monitoring and forecasting system proof-of-concept study

Host Institution: International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT).

 Location:  KG 563 ST, P.O. Box 1269, Kacyiru, Kigali, Rwanda.

 Supervisors: Dr. Desire M. Kagabo (Ph.D), Scientist, Climate Services for Agriculture, CIAT (The research team from CIAT or CCAFS, IRI, University of Reading working with the Rwanda Climate Services for Agriculture Project will be available to supervise the interns).

Project Description :

The idea is to develop and test a prototype food production/food security monitoring and forecasting system, based on gridded meteorological data, gridded WRSI simulation (monitored rainfall plus sampling from historical data), periodically updated seasonal forecasts, and calibration with historical agricultural production statistics.  I have ideas about how this could be structured.  But the concept would probably also benefit from new ideas and analyses.   Testing would benefit from good historical agricultural production statistics, or (at a point scale) field trial time series data. This is something USAID wants and might fund, if the ministry of agriculture will buy into it.  Perhaps a prototype and proof-of-concept study might improve the likelihood of buy-in and additional funding?

Perhaps this could be a collaboration with the sponsored M.Sc. student who proposes to validate simpler water balance tools for maize and beans.

Applications for this internship should be submitted via the online application system, stating clearly the title of the internship.

Deadline for applications: June 30th, 2018 – 11:59 PM (EAT).

Any inquiries about these internships should be sent to:
aims-ms4cr.internship@nexteinstein.org.