Climate Action 2011-2012

precarious financial and economic prospects. In
this context, looking for someone to blame or waiting
for volunteers to take the first steps is unlikely to be the
right approach. Climate change is already impacting
areas such as food production, water supply and disease
proliferation. The risks of inaction are real, and we do
not have time to waste.
icTS are parT of The SoluTion
Every aspect of the modern world has become increasingly
integrated with ICTs, which have become a positive force
of transformation and a crucial element in our everyday
lives. ICT’s are now basic infrastructure that also expands
access to key public services, such as health, education and
government services, with widespread implications on our
social and economic development. New approaches are now
available to ‘decarbonise’ our lifestyles, bringing efficient
solutions to a complex problem.
Looking for someone to blame
or waiting for volunteers to
take the first steps is unlikely
to be the right approach.
Over the past few years ITU has been raising awareness
about the innovative applications through which ICTs can
help address climate change. From climate monitoring to
reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, from adaptation
to facilitating the development and transfer of technologies,
ICTs enable sustainable development and allow for the
more efficient use of resources, and in particular energy.
Key advances promoted by ITU have improved
collaboration between the ICT industry and the public
sector in knowledge and best practices exchange, as well as
the development of a standardised methodology to measure
the contribution from the ICT sector in reducing global
GHG emissions.
It then becomes necessary to provide help for governments
and institutions as they put technologies at the service
of the global community. Turning proofs of concept
into mainstream applications is best done with a central
understanding of global progress – particularly in the case of
climate change adaptation.
icTS aS The building blockS for
adapTaTion STraTegieS
However, climate change has different effects in different
parts of the world, necessarily affecting adaptation strategies
in a wide variety of ways. Some countries will experience
changes in rainfall patterns, for example, while others will be
affected by rises in sea level and the loss of coastal areas.
ICTs can therefore play a fundamental role in delivering
the key information in helping planners to take informed
decisions, based on a better understanding of impacts and
vulnerabilities. ICTs today are basic infrastructure which
supports the collection and sharing of data in near real
time. Through the use of ICTs, teams on the ground can
also better co-ordinate with each other, speeding up actions
at the local level and promoting community engagement.
The use of ICTs to predict, detect and alert us in the case
of natural disasters is one of the best examples of the use of
information systems in climate change adaptation. Across
the world, ICT networks are already in use providing early
warning of changes in climate, allowing governments to
better respond to natural disasters. This is an area in which
ITU is providing strong support to our member states, with
projects being implemented at the country level. Similar
approaches could be adopted to protect key sectors such as
agriculture or energy production.
ICTs today are basic
infrastructure which supports
the collection and sharing of
data in near real time.
Health, education and government services are also being
transformed by ICTs. The use of technology is dramatically
improving the dissemination of information, allowing
students to be trained wherever they are, patients to be
treated by doctors remotely, or citizens to access public
services from their mobile phones. Although such examples
are not specific to climate change adaptation, many of these
applications will strengthen existing initiatives to build
resilience to climate change.
unleaShing crowd poTenTial
The world is already being transformed through ICTs,
through both national programmes and grass-roots
initiatives. In several countries ICTs are being used to
monitor food supplies, mapping agricultural production
and helping to predict food shortages. Monitoring
environmental and soil conditions through accurate sensors
and telemetry units helps to protect agricultural products
from the forces of nature, and maximises output in less
fertile areas. Similarly the use of ‘smart’ meters and grids
improves efficiency in the use of limited resources, such as
water or energy.
Connectivity is bringing a new dimension to decentralised
collaboration. We are all witnessing the power of the
internet and social networks to connect people, enabling
them to work together, overcoming physical or cultural
barriers. Imagine the benefits that these networks could
bring if used to articulate responses to climate change?
Prominent examples have already been applied in the use
of software to engage thousands of individuals in response
to natural disasters, such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake,
in which technology played a key role in ‘crowd-sourcing’
action on the ground.
107 climateactionprogramme.org