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6Plenary 1: Status, Prospects, and Practices on Climate Change Adaptation in AgricultureQ: What is the impact of using youth as sensors?A: Youth sensors in the villages can provide spatially high density weather information. The data theycollect can be used for an early warning system; and long-term observation can lead to betterinputs for decision-making.Q: You mentioned that the young people involved in the project are from 9-14 years old (school-goingage). How do you ensure balance between their school attendance and their field monitoring tasks?A: We discuss with their parents and ask for their permission. Some of the tasks do not take a lot oftime (e.g., recording the temperature needs only a few minutes); the others do not need to be donedaily. We are careful that their field monitoring do not interfere with their schooling.Q: How do you ensure sustainability?A: By tapping the youth, we are getting the children interested (again) in agriculture. Farmers aregrowing old; who will feed the world when they go? However, capacity building is a key interventionto ensure sustainability, hence it should be done not just for young people only; older farmers mustalso be engaged in lifelong learning.Q: How do you check/monitor the data collected by the children (i.e., ensure quality control)? This isimportant because decisions will be based on these data.A: The children were given basic training on how to use the tools they were provided. Outliers (datafrom the youth sensors) are excluded. Averaging the figures would result in acceptable data as longas we have a sufficient number of observations. Occasionally we request the facilitators to take thesame measurements and the results are very similar.International Conference on Climate Change Impactsand Adaptation for Food and Environmental SecurityConference Summary Report