Projects

Project description

A warmer, wetter world is likely to be sicker. The Mekong is a hotspot for human, animal and plant disease, some of which are highly sensitive to climate changes. These diseases impose enormous burdens on human health and the agricultural sector and hinder broader development. Better tackling climate sensitive disease requires better information and tools.

Using a One Health approach, the Pestforecast project aims to develop tools to forecast climate-sensitive zoonotic diseases and plant disease in Vietnam.

As the outcome of the project, farming communities are able to take practical action to reduce disease risk and/or benefit from risk mitigating action by health providers. The impacts are better health, reduced economic loss from disease, increased food security, and ecosystems protected from disease spillover and misuse of agricultural chemicals.

Project activities include:

• Developing and disseminating maps of hotspots of climate sensitive zoonotic diseases in Vietnam;
• Identifying seasonal patterns and associated with climate risk factors for climate sensitive zoonotic diseases in Vietnam.
• Exploring the potential for weather-based forecasting for aflatoxin mitigation;
• Dissemination and application of developed tools of pest forecast;
• Providing capacity building to project partners;

Outputs

• New knowledge, capacity, and tools supporting the provision of equitable climate services for farmers;
• New climate information and analysis that enhances the capacity of data providers (e.g. regional and national meteorological institutions) to meet the demands of climate service beneficiaries;
• Decision support systems improved or developed for incorporation into national food security safety net programs;
• Evidence and knowledge products synthesizing national gaps and opportunities to guide regional and global investment in climate informed agricultural and food security decision-making;
• MSc student trained.

Gender

Gender issues are mainstreamed into the project. Specifically, when we conducted a survey in order to better understand the perceptions and knowledge of climate sensitive diseases (CSDs) among people from six provinces using face-to-face interviews, we integrated a gender perspective into questionnaires whether awareness of CSDs is different between men and women.

Partners

The project is led by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Project partners include  the Hanoi University of Public Health, Centre for Public Health and Ecosystem Research (CENPHER), Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA), Plant Protection Research Institute (PPRI), the Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment (IMHEN), National Institute of Veterinary Research (NIVR) under – the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Health of Vietnam.

Further information

For more information, please contact project leader Hung Nguyen (ILRI) at h.nguyen@cgiar.org.