allhailgachuri/ROPIAS

A data-driven Python system that helps smallholder farmers in Kenya distinguish between True and False rainfall onsets, and receive satellite-based irrigation advisories — no hardware required. # ROPIAS ### Rainfall Onset Prediction & Irrigation Advisory System *A precision agricultural intelligence platform protecting Kenya's smallholder farmers from false onset crop failure.* --- ## 🌍 The Problem ROPIAS Solves Traditional farming calendars across East Africa relied on predictable rainfall patterns — *"Plant when the long rains begin in March."* Climate change has completely fractured this predictability. **False onset events** — brief, intense rains followed by devastating 14–21 day dry spells — now routinely wipe out seeds, expensive fertiliser, and labour across the continent. A Kenyan smallholder farmer with 0.5 acres cannot afford to lose a planting season. **ROPIAS** intercepts this problem at the decision point. By dynamically querying NASA's POWER satellite API with a farmer's exact GPS coordinates, the system algorithmically audits 60 days of precipitation and root-zone soil moisture (GWETROOT). Through strict agronomic thresholds calibrated for **37 distinct Kenyan crops**, ROPIAS issues a definitive advisory: **True Onset (Safe to Plant)** or **False Onset (Wait)**. No expensive IoT sensors. No station networks. Just satellite data, honest algorithms, and a verdict on a farmer's phone. --- ## 🏗️ System Architecture ```mermaid graph TD A[Farmer / Extension Officer] -->|Smartphone or Feature Phone| B(ROPIAS Dashboard) B -->|GPS Coordinates + Crop Selection| C{Flask Application Factory} C -->|JWT Session via Flask-Login| D[(PostgreSQL Database)] C -->|POST /analyze| E[ROPIAS Decision Engine] E -->|API Request| F(NASA POWER Satellite API) F -->|60-Day Historic Climate Array| E E --> G[Onset Engine] E --> H[Irrigation Engine] E --> I[Forecast Engine] G -->|True / False / Uncertain| C H -->|Moisture % + Advisory| C I -->|7-Day Risk Strip| C C -->|Staggered JSON Result| B C -->|Automated Morning Alerts| J[Twilio WhatsApp/SMS] J -->|6:00 AM Daily Broadcast| A ``` --- ## 🧠 Core Analytical Engines ROPIAS is composed of six purpose- …