Seasonal crop cycles with climatic zone mapping
Climate zones showing when harvesting times for staple crops are expected. Which climate zones relate to which dependencies in the population at different times of the year. This can link this to seasonal forecast outlooks to highlight areas that may become susceptible to food insecurity.
Strategic or operational?
Strategic
Basemap, baseline or situational?
Baseline
When might it be produced?
As early as possible in a response.
Intended audience
World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) may use these for contextualising the crisis.
Influence on humanitarian decisions
Supports identification of vulnerable individuals, identifies where the risk to people is greatest. Useful for food distribution agencies for informing them which areas are likely to require addition support.
Methods
Use a simple basemap showing the land use and/or crop type distribution, overlain with climate zones (or rainfall climatology data) and expected harvest time for each crop type (as a label or graphic). Could include link to the seasonal outlooks that are provided by DFID if available.
Data
Crop type (irrigated/rain-fed)
Climate zones &/or rainfall climatology data
Expected harvest period