thinking beyond

The Unit for Research on Informatics for Droughts in Africa (URIDA) is dedicated to the advancement of scientific research and development of relevant and sustainable (ICTs) tool for predicting Africa's droughts.  

An inter-sectoral (meteorological, hydrological, computer science, engineering, health, agriculture and planning) approach to ensure people-centered solutions.  Solutions are leveraged on the following tools: Indigenous Knowledge, ICT's (informatics), Mobile phones, wireless sensor networks (Internet of things, Big Data) and Artificial Intelligence.

ITIKI is a drought prediction tool for small scale farmers and is one of the projects of URIDA.  ITIKI addresses the challenge that droughts remain the number one disaster in Africa. The ITIKI project acknowledges the fact that the lack of an appropriate drought-forecasting tool for smallholder farmers makes them continue to rely on their indigenous knowledge to reach critical cropping decisions.

ITIKI is a drought forecasting service whose uniqueness is in the integration indigenous and scientific drought forecasting techniques. Mobile phones are used to offer relevant, timely and accurate forecasts.

By using ITIKI, farmers in Kenya, Mozambique and South Africa, can now reach cropping decisions that lead improved crop yields. 

The CUT/ITIKI official launch was held on 20 & 21 June 2019 at the Central University of Technology, Free State, South Africa.

Visit our Website at www.urida.co.za for more information.