Information and communication technologies (ICTs) and ... - ITU

(4) Feedback and learning
(5) Institutional capacity building
Figure 8 reflects these five main areas, highlighting the potential contribution of ICTs to the overall process
of formulating climate change adaptation plans.
Figure 8. ICTs and the formulation of a climate change adaptation strategy
Source: Ospina and Heeks (2011), adapted from UNDP (2004)
As reflected in the figure, the integration of ICTs in climate change adaptation strategies should be
undertaken from a systemic, process-oriented, and long-term perspective. It involves the creation of
content and structures that support each of the steps of the process (as explained in Section 3), and as
reflected by the experience of Ghana, it involves the coordination of stakeholders from the ICT and the
climate fields working at the local, the sectoral, the national and the international levels.
Ghana’s experience also suggests that high-level political commitment, clear roles and responsibilities
among actors, as well as the leadership of a specialized agency (e.g. Ghana’s EPA) and the Ministry of
Communications are key components to ensure the articulation of ICTs’ role across the different stages of
adaptation cycles.
Specific actions that developing countries can undertake with regards to each of these areas are reflected in
Table 9.
c) Sectoral and community levels
The role of ICTs in delivery adaptation actions can be also analyzed from a sectoral perspective, by linking
their potential of to the specific needs and priorities of the key sectors affected by climate change.
In developing countries such as Ghana, future actions target the needs of vulnerable sectors such as
agriculture and natural resources, which constitute the main source of rural livelihoods. Examples of
sectoral approaches include:
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