Photo credit: ® Wireless Reach™
The Wireless Solutions for Fisheries in Senegal (WISE) project received a 2020 Champion award in e-agriculture from the prestigious World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes. The annual awards, supported by the United Nations, recognize projects that make significant progress in achieving the Sustainable Goals through use of technology. The online ceremony was livestreamed from Geneva, Switzerland, on September 7, 2020.
FHI 360 partnered with Qualcomm® Wireless Reach,™ the Senegalese Food Security Commission, the Senegal Ministry of Digital Economy and Telecommunications, and the Senegal Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy on the development of a mobile app, also called WISE, to provide fishermen and fish processors in Senegal with real-time market data, emergency and early warning weather alerts and information on best practices in fish processing. Fish are a critical food source for the people of Senegal, and the fisheries industry provides jobs for more than 600,00 people, the majority of whom use traditional fishing and processing methods. Their earnings depend on weather patterns and safe navigational charting, access to loans, and consumer demands, among other industry-related conditions.
“The WISE app gives fishermen and fish processors, who are predominantly women, much-needed and timely information that has changed practices and improved livelihoods for people in this industry,” said Berhane Gebru, Technical Advisor for Digital Development and the project director for WISE at FHI 360. “WISE contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals by improving the income of small-scale fishermen and fish processors, increasing women’s access to technology and supporting the sustainable use of marine resources. More than 94 percent of WISE users reported increasing their annual income by about US$911 per household through use of the integrated digital platform.”
The WSIS Prizes is a unique global platform to evaluate projects that leverage the power of information and communication technologies to advance sustainable development. The WISE project is among five that were recognized as 2020 Champions in the e-agriculture category.
For more information on the WISE project, view our video.
