Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics (VASAT)

THRUST 2: Content for Development (C4D)

Drought and desertification are recurrent problems that bring untold suffering to millions of people in the semi-arid tropics (SAT). Empowering people for drought preparedness is now viewed as the best strategy to cope with these hardships, with information and knowledge being key components for success. Over the years, CGIAR Centers, such as ICRISAT, have accumulated the necessary know-how to significantly empower these people. Recent successes in applying information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) in vulnerable rural areas, coupled with open/distance learning (ODL), offer unprecedented opportunities for the CGIAR to develop innovative ways of sharing knowledge to enhance drought mitigation and management.

Objectives

ICRISAT, together with ILRI and IWMI, proposes to establish a system for innovative knowledge sharing with regard to drought preparedness through a Virtual Academy for the Semi-Arid Tropics (VASAT) involving recent advances in ICTs coupled with ODL approaches. This will provide an opportunity for globally dispersed communities of drought-related experts to come together virtually to help generate information and knowledge that can be locally applied by stakeholders.

As a result of this project, the CGIAR will be endowed with a significant capacity to use communities of practice to share new knowledge with vulnerable rural families. Moreover, new methods for partnering with NARES, such as with ODL institutions and technology-oriented NGOs, will have been identified, and new ICT-methods that complement agricultural extension will have been demonstrated.

Lead Administrative Center

International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)

Project Coordinators

V Balaji, Head of the Information Resource Management Office, (ICRISAT) and Rex Navarro, Head of the Communications Office and Special Assistant to the DG (ICRISAT)

Project Status

Commencement date: April 2004
Planned duration of the project: 30 Months

For More Information

Contact us at ictkm@cgiar.org