Machakos

The use of water harvesting and soil conservation innovations, such as holding tanks to catch the run off from the limited rains in the area, have resulted in as much as tenfold increases in land productivity. These technologies have helped save many farmers in communities like Machakos, where Peter Kiio and Sammy Mulwa are now successfully growing cash crops that previously required more water than they had available to them. Improved and more reliable seasonal weather forecasts and simulation models have helped scientists predict climatic changes in rainfall, enabling farmers to prepare for the bad years as well as the good, reducing their risks and increasing their productivity.