Page 46 - Turning digital technology innovation into climate action

Turning digital technology innovation into climate action

can be seen in the use of mobile phones to deliver weather and climate information in Mali, the
13 14
use of ICTs in smart coffee production in Guatemala , and the use of ICTs for micro-level drought
15 16 17
preparedness in India. 18

5.3 Using ICTs for climate-related humanitarian action, migration, and refugees

Rapid-onset of disasters such as cyclones, storm surges and other extreme weather events associated
with a warming climate, coupled with the slow-onset impacts of sea level change and glacial melt, are
adding environmental stressors that are displacing a growing number of people. The consequences
of climate change have increased the number of migrants and refugees who are forced to flee their
homes in order to survive severe climate conditions.
ICTs can help these highly vulnerable groups to communicate with each other, stay informed on
current affairs, keep in touch with family and friends and help give them access to basic services. ICTs
also help humanitarian organisations and governments to gather critical information, improve their
internal services and better support those in need.

For example, mobile phone data are being used to assess climate change and migration patterns in
Bangladesh, and ICTs are being deployed in Rwanda to adapt to the local impacts of climate change. 20
19

13 Kadi, Mohammed. ‘The State of Climate Information Services for Agriculture and Food Security in East African
Countries.’ The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), 2011, ccafs .cgiar
.org/ sites/ default/ files/ assets/ docs/ ccafs -wp -05 -clim -info -eastafrica .pdf.
14 Steenbergen, Margot. ‘Mobile Phones Successfully Support Farmers with Weather and Climate Information – The
Malian Experience by RIC4REC.’ Building Resilience and Adaption to Climate Extremes and Disasters (BRACED), 16 Nov.
2017, www .braced .org/ discussions/ i/ ?id = 03ce427e -eb29 -4d9c -9d61 -98c8c9bd7720.
15 Steffens, Gena. ‘Changing Climate Forces Desperate Guatemalans to Migrate.’ National Geographic, 23 Oct. 2018,
www .nationalgeographic .com/ environment/ 2018/ 10/ drought -climate -change -force -guatemalans -migrate -to -us/ .
16 United States Agency for International Development (USAID). ‘Economic Analysis of Feed the Future Investments Rural
Value Chains Project – Anacafe.’ Sept. 2013, www .usaid .gov/ sites/ default/ files/ documents/ 1865/ Anacafe %20CBA
%20Economic %20Analysis %20PUBLIC .pdf.
17 Rural Solution Portal. ‘Broadening the Usage of ICTs in the Coffee Value Chain.” ruralsolutionsportal .org/ en/ -/
broadening -the -usage -of -icts -in -the -coffee -value -chain.
18 International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). ‘ICT-Enabled Knowledge Sharing in Support
of Extension: Addressing the Agrarian Challenges of the Developing World Threatened by Climate Change, with a Case
Study from India.’ Open Access, 2007, oar .icrisat .org/ 2604/ 1/ ICT -enabled _knowledge .pdf.
19 Flowminder. ‘Mobile Phone Data to Understand Climate Change and Migration Patterns in Bangladesh.’ May 2016,
web .flowminder .org/ case -studies/ mobile -phone -data -to -understand -climate -change -and -migration -patterns -in
-bangladesh.
20 Ntirenganya, Emmanuel. ‘How Technology Is Primed to Transform Farming in Rwanda.’ The New Times | Rwanda, 9
Nov. 2017, www .newtimes .co .rw/ section/ read/ 223291.

32