janejeshen/Climate-Impacts-on-Crop-Pests-and-Disease-Outbreaks-in-Africa

# Climate-Impacts-on-Crop-Pests-and-Disease-Outbreaks-in-Africa #### Project Overview This project was developed as part of the Adaptation Atlas Data Storytelling Challenge, an initiative aimed at making scientific climate knowledge more accessible to policymakers, researchers, and investors across Africa. The focus of Track 2, proposed by the African Trust for Innovation (ATI), is to understand how changing climate patterns influence the spread, severity, and emergence of crop pests and diseases. These insights are critical for strengthening early warning systems, improving integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, and supporting climate-resilient agriculture. The final output is an interactive data storytelling notebook, designed to communicate complex climate–agriculture relationships through clear visualizations and narrative-driven analysis. #### Key Objectives The notebook answers the following core questions: 1. Which crops are most vulnerable to climate-driven pest and disease pressures across different African regions? 2. How are changing climate patterns (temperature, rainfall, humidity) affecting pest and disease spread and severity? 3. Where are emerging pest and disease risks appearing due to shifting habitats and extended breeding seasons? 4. Which regions are likely to require increased surveillance, early warning systems, or adjustments to IPM strategies? 5. How have pest and disease patterns evolved over the past two decades, and how might they change under future climate scenarios such as SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5? #### Data Sources The analysis integrates multiple datasets, including: Climate data (historical and projected): temperature, precipitation, and climate scenarios (SSPs) Agricultural data: crop distribution and exposure Pest and disease risk data: occurrence, suitability, and spread indicators Socio-economic and regional data for contextual interpretation All datasets were provided or recommended within the Zindi competit …