88225 ICTs for Climate change adaptaTion in Africa eTransform AFRICA AFRICAN UNION This document, on the use of ICTs for Climate Change Adaptation in Africa, is the summary of the full sector study which was carried out by a team from the International Institute for Development led by Heather Creech, and comprising Ben Akoh and Jo-Ellen Parry, with assistance from Livia Bizikova, Daniella Echeverria, Philip Gass, Ann Hammille and Julie Karami. The full report is available at www.eTransformAfrica.org. This document forms chapter three of the publication edited by Enock Yonazi, Tim Kelly, Naomi Halewood and Colin Blackman (2012) “eTransform Africa: The Transformational Use of ICTs in Africa.” Funding for the publication came from the AfDB Korean Trust Fund, the WB Pfizer Trust Fund and the WB Africa regional department. eTransform AFRICA AFRICAN UNION ICTs for Climate change adaptaTion in Africa Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have the potential to transform business and government in Africa, driving entrepreneurship, innovation and economic growth. A new flagship report – eTransform Africa – produced by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, with the support of the African Union, identifies best practice in the use of ICTs in key sectors of the African economy. Under the theme “Transformation-Ready”, the growing contribution of ICTs to Agriculture, Climate Change Adaptation, Education, Financial Services, Government Services and Health is explored. In addition, the report highlights the role of ICTs in enhancing African regional trade and integration as well as the need to build a competitive ICT industry to promote innovation, job creation and the export potential of African companies. introduction ICTs for Climate change adaptaTion in Africa 1 � Understanding climate change mitigation and adaptation p4 � ICTs and climate change p6 3 Like other regions of the world, Africa • West Africa saw substantial reduc- is beginning to experience the impacts tions in rainfall during the latter of human-induced climate change. half of the 20th century, including Temperature increases of 0.1 to 0.3°C prolonged droughts in the 1970s per decade have been observed in and 1980s, and greater rainfall South Africa, for example, with indica- variability. tions that Africa is warming faster than the global average. Rainfall patterns are The current trends of rising tempera- becoming more variable across the con- tures and altered rainfall patterns are set tinent, reflecting in part the influence of to continue during the remainder of this traditional factors such as the El Niño/ century. At a continental level, mean an- La Niña-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). nual temperatures are projected to rise by Warming in the south Atlantic and between 3.2°C and 3.6°C by the period Indian Oceans may have led to a weak- 2080 to 2099. Precipitation patterns will ening of monsoons, depriving the also continue to change – very likely de- Sahel region of rainfall in recent years. creasing along the Mediterranean coast, Northern Sahara and west coast to 15°N, These observed changes in climate pa- while increasing in tropical and east- rameters have not occurred uniformly ern Africa. An increase in the number across Africa: of extreme climate events experienced within the continent is likely to accom- • In East Africa temperatures have pany these changes in climatic averages. risen by an average of 1.3°C since Rising sea levels are also projected to af- 1960. Rain patterns have altered fect Africa’s coastline, particularly the and droughts and floods are be- eastern coastline, as well as island states. coming more frequent. Since 1912, Mt Kilimanjaro’s ice fields have African countries are especially vulner- decreased in total area by about 80 able to the impacts of climate change for per cent. three interrelated, mutually reinforcing reasons: • In North Africa significant warm- ing has occurred during the summer 1. Africa’s climate is likely to be more while winters are becoming drier. severely affected by climate change Sahelian Sudan experienced a 25 per than other regions, as recent data cent decrease in rainfall during the suggest that it is warming faster than last quarter of 20th century. the global average. • In Southern Africa decadal warm- 2. Its major economic sectors, such as ing of 0.1 to 0.3°C occurred between agriculture, are climate-sensitive. 1961 and 2000, while the duration of the dry season lengthened between 3. Low levels of human development 1961 and 2005. (income, education, health) and the 4 greater presence of other stress fac- • Transforming ecosystems and biodi- tors (such as conflict and disease) versity: Coral bleaching, ocean acid- constrain adaptive capacity. ification, warmer inland lakes and shifts in species ranges are pushing The 2008 Human Development Report many ecosystems beyond their ca- identifies five major “transmission pacity to adapt to changing climate mechanisms” through which climate conditions. change will affect human development: • Increased human health risks: • Losses in agricultural production The likelihood of malaria epidemics and food security: Africa could ex- may increase since previously un- perience the largest losses in agricul- affected populations will not have tural output potential. the genetic modifications to protect against infection. • Increased water stress and water in- security: The number of people ex- While these impacts will present periencing water stress is likely to themselves in different ways and with increase in northern and southern varying degrees of severity in different Africa, while the opposite is likely to regions and countries, they are likely happen in eastern and western Africa. to translate into significant develop- ment losses, particularly in Sub-Saha- • Rising sea levels and exposure to cli- ran Africa. Many will be irreversible mate disasters: More frequent and and efforts to achieve the Millennium intense extreme events, such as cy- Development Goals (MDGs) or sus- clones and droughts, will increase tain progress made are likely to be disaster-related losses. compromised. Understanding climate change mitigation and adaptation International responses to climate categories. Mitigation is concerned change are coordinated through the with reducing the level of greenhouse United Nations, and focus in particu- gas emissions in the Earth’s atmo- lar on the UN Framework Conven- sphere that are the principal causes tion on Climate Change (UNFCCC) of climate change. Adaptation is con- and its subsequent Kyoto Protocol. cerned not with prevention but, in the These responses fall into two main words of the Intergovernmental Panel 5 on Climate Change, with “adjustments the underlying economic, social and in human and/or natural systems... to environmental challenges of low- reduce [its] adverse impacts or take income countries and communities advantage of opportunities” that may also help them to address the out- arise from it. comes of climate change. Healthier and better educated populations Adaptation takes place at all levels in living in robust ecosystems are better society, from large-scale interventions equipped to adapt. that are driven by governments and regional organizations to the autono- 2. The impacts of climate change and mous actions taken by threatened com- the requirements for adaptation munities and individuals. Appropriate are highly contextual. The impacts adaptation requires: of climate change will vary mark- edly from country to country and • access to current understanding of location to location. Interventions the potential physical and socio-eco- must be carefully tailored to the nomic changes which are or could circumstances in which they are occur as a result of climate change; being applied. • design and implementation of effec- 3. Adaptation must be integral to na- tive responses to the challenges and tional development strategies and opportunities arising from climate institutions. Addressing adaptation change; needs is not an option within de- velopment policy; climate change is • coordinated action by all stake- occurring and will affect countries’ holders, including those at the local development priorities. All devel- level; and opment planners and managers need to be aware of its implications • reliable information and guidance and mainstream climate change on actions that may be taken to in- considerations into development crease the resilience of vulnerable thinking. communities and individuals. 4. As in many areas of human activ- Over the past decade, understanding has ity, adaptation involves trade-offs. grown regarding how to enable adapta- Actions which will protect some tion around the world. Four principal vulnerable communities may have lessons can be derived from that experi- adverse impacts on other groups. ence to guide future interventions: Development planners need to model likely impacts while remem- 1. There is an intimate connection be- bering that climate change itself tween adaptation and sustainable renders the status quo in many con- development. Measures that tackle texts unsustainable. 6 ICTs and climate change Information and communication tech- production. A complication arises nologies have had an increasing impact from rebound effects which may on economic and social development eliminate the gains resulting from ap- over the past two decades, resulting parent reductions, such as increased from their capacity to generate and dis- power consumption resulting from seminate information, to facilitate the lower energy prices achieved through coordination of different actors in and greater energy efficiency. beyond government, and to make gov- ernment, business and development • Third order (societal) effects result processes more efficient. These three from large-scale changes in social capacities are as relevant to climate and economic behaviour resulting change adaptation as they are to other from widespread use of ICTs, in- fields. However, the extent of experi- cluding changing patterns of trade, ence in deploying ICTs for adapting to production and consumption, and climate change is currently less than global to local engagement of citi- in other development fields, such as zens in decision-making. health and education. There are a growing number of per- ICTs also have a complex relation- spectives on how to approach the in- ship with sustainability and with the tersection of ICTs and adaptation. underlying cause of climate change. IISD has built on several analytical ap- This relationship can be described in proaches to create a new framework to terms of the effects of ICTs: guide future policy and programming interventions. This framework catego- • First order (direct) effects concern rizes interventions at four points along the impacts which ICTs themselves a continuum of adaptation, which are have on climate change, in particular as follows: the CO2 emissions from the produc- tion, use and disposal of commu- 1. Addressing the drivers of vulner- nications equipment and services, ability – interventions which are con- accounting for between 2 and 2.5 per cerned with the underlying factors cent of global emissions. that make people and communities vulnerable to the impacts of climate • Second order (indirect) effects con- change, rather than being concerned cern the role ICTs can play in reduc- with those impacts themselves. ing emissions resulting from other industrial sectors, by having them 2. Building the response capacity adopt ICTs to improve efficiency and of local and regional systems and 7 communities – interventions which notably agriculture and water re- help communities to acquire the re- sources, forestry and fisheries, health sources they need to respond to the and livelihoods. impacts of climate change. • By geographic scale: Climate change 3. Reducing and managing risks is a large-scale phenomenon but will related to climate variability and cli- also have impacts that vary greatly mate change – interventions which between individual locations. Inter- provide information and facilities ventions therefore range from those to help communities change lifestyle at regional or national level down to and economic behaviours in ways specific actions to meet the needs of that make them more sustainable in individual communities. new climate conditions. • By technology: ICTs are highly 4. Confronting climate change – inter- diverse and can be implemented on ventions which directly address the different scales. At one end of the physical impacts of climate change scale they include expensive one- such as rising sea levels and the off applications such as sensor net- spread of malarial mosquitoes into works, satellite earth stations and newly favourable regions. meteorological systems. At the other, they include the mobile phones that Within this framework, it is possible to individuals can use to access infor- categorize interventions more precisely mation, report problems or share in a number of ways: experiences. • By sector: A number of development This analytical framework is illustrated sectors are particularly susceptible graphically in Figure 1. to the impacts of climate change, Figure next page l 8 Figure 1 A framework to assess ICT tools for climate change adaptation EXAMPLES policy IssueS Addressing development / Focus Early warning systems Open data policies Weather management Acquisition Remote sensing systems Large scale Smart systems Infrastructure deployment Sensor networks ADDRESSING THE DRIVERS OF VULNERABILITY GIS Capacity building, training GPS and education Modelling Examples: Micro-credit schemes; immunization programmes Knowledge management Communication strategies Information sharing Public awareness/outreach Decision-making tools Partnerships Small scale Mobile phone apps Mobile phone apps GPRS GPRS 9 on vulnerability Responding to climate change / Focus on impact Building Managing Confronting Response Climate Climate Capacity Risk Change Examples: Examples: Examples: Improving information Introduction of drought- Reducing potential for and communications resistant crops; glacial lake outburst flood; infrastructure; emergency response systems building sea walls training in GIS technology landscape analysis ICTs for Climate change adaptaTion in Africa 2 11 The UNFCCC lies at the heart of much • Agriculture: “Strategies for Adapt- of the work which addresses adapta- ing to Climate Change in Rural tion in Africa today. Strategic instru- Sub-Saharan Africa: Targeting the ments arising from this work include Most Vulnerable” (FANFRAN) and countries’ National Communications “Developing rice and sorghum crop on their climate response activities, adaptation strategies for climate and the National Adaptation Pro- change in vulnerable environments grammes of Action (NAPAs) which in Africa” (RISOCAS). have been developed by Least Devel- oped Countries (LDCs). The African • Water and energy: “The Water, Cli- Union, NEPAD and some Regional mate and Development Programme Economic Communities (RECs) in in Africa” and the “Climate Proof- Africa have sought to achieve coor- ing Energy Systems: Vulnerability- dinated action by governments at the Adaptation-Resilience” (HELIO). continental or regional levels, and to stimulate national policy development • Forestry: “Adapting the Framework for adaptation. of Forestry Policy to meet the needs of climate change in the MENA A number of projects and pro- region” (GIZ). grammes are currently being im- plemented in Africa to support • Health: “Transferring the Malaria adaptation to climate change. Major Epidemic Prediction Model to Users continental programmes focusing in West Africa” (CCAA). on climate change adaptation with a budget above US$50 million in- • Meteorology: “The Regional Science clude: the Climate Change Adapta- Service Centre for Adaptation Cli- tion Support Programme for Action- mate Change and Sustainable Land Research and Capacity Development Management in Southern Africa”. in Africa; the Africa Adaptation Pro- gramme; and the Climate for Devel- Two critical challenges arise from opment in Africa (ClimDev-Africa) this work: Programme and its component, the African Early Warning and Advisory • the extent to which adaptation is Climate Services. integrated with wider development planning; and In conjunction with these multi- country, multi-sector projects are • the extent to which strategic plan- others that focus on capacity-build- ning leads to practical implementa- ing (including policy linkages) and tion on the ground. research activities in specific sectors such as: Both of these are challenges in many development sectors, not just for climate 12 change adaptation. Where the use of In general, current uses of ICTs in ICTs is concerned, they are supple- the context of climate change tend to mented by two more specific issues: achieve the objectives of: • the extent to which ICTs are integral • generating, organizing and com- to adaptation planning; and municating information about the risks resulting from climate change, • the extent to which they can be de- climate variability and extreme cli- ployed in practical implementations, mate events, as well as preparing for given current infrastructure, finan- their effects on food security and cial and human resource limitations. water supply; Governments have made some refer- • developing information systems ences to ICTs in National Communi- within the food sector that are bet- cations, NAPAs and other documents ter able to reflect household access to which establish these sectoral priori- food and food consumption; ties, though these references are rather few and limited. The use of ICTs is sug- • developing early warning and gested for tasks such as the collection hazard risk information systems to and dissemination of agro-meteorolog- deal with the additional fire hazards ical information, monitoring for flood associated with climate change and projection, and planning for and track- to enable integrated fire manage- ing of changes in the distribution of ment; and diseases such as malaria and meningi- tis, early warning systems and disaster • developing ICT mapping tools to preparedness. Many countries in West, map vulnerable areas and provide East and Southern Africa have identi- spatial representations of climate fied a desire to improve their meteo- change impacts. rological and forecasting capacity and to strengthen their early warning and disaster risk reduction systems. opportunities and challenges ICTs for Climate change adaptaTion in Africa 3 15 Programmes and projects across sudden (weather-induced) crises, Africa confirm the importance of in- and potential lifestyle and behav- terventions in several areas of activity. ioural changes that could help to These include: secure their lives and livelihoods in the longer term. • monitoring and measurement of climate impacts, including weather These practical applications use a systems, the impact of weather/ wide variety of technologies which are climate on natural resources such interconnected using existing com- as water (sea levels, rainfall) and munications networks and services, weather-dependent economic sec- including: tors (agriculture, forestry, fisheries), and the potential impact of climate • high-value remote monitoring change on health; equipment such as satellites; • early-warning systems concerned • networks of remote sensors; particularly with acute events result- ing from climate variability and cli- • global positioning and GIS appli- mate change; cations; • knowledge-sharing between inter- • communications services such as governmental and national gov- the internet, mobile networks and ernment agencies, businesses and SMS; and academic institutions that have the capacity and/or the responsibility for • handheld devices such as mobile designing or coordinating responses phones and PDAs. to climate change; It is clear that there are important • implementation of small-scale activ- shortfalls in current adaptation policy ities to protect lives and livelihoods and practice and in the application of in vulnerable communities and to ICTs to adaptation. support the lifestyle and behavioural changes needed to enable survival • While nearly all African countries and prosperity in contexts that are have ratified the UNFCCC and so changing as a result of climate vari- committed themselves to taking ac- ability or climate change; and tion to reduce their vulnerability to climate change, there is a big gap at • transmission of information and present between strategy develop- advice to and between local com- ment and implementation activity. munities on impacts that they may Adaptation has not yet become ef- experience, actions that they could fectively mainstreamed into devel- take to protect themselves against opment planning in many countries, 16 and remains absent from many com- development objectives of African prehensive national development countries varies from country to strategies. country, and generally could be strengthened. As ICTs can have a • ICTs, likewise, have not yet become pervasive impact across the spec- effectively integrated into adap- trum of development, their use at tation planning. The potential of the community level also could be ICT-related interventions is insuf- expanded to more holistically en- ficiently explored in NAPAs and compass the diversity of adapta- other adaptation strategies and tion needs in different sectors at rarely integrated into comprehen- the local level. sive thinking about how adaptation can best be achieved. This leads to The evidence that emerges nevertheless under-use of ICTs in programmes confirms that ICTs do have significant and projects which are associated potential value in adaptation and that with these strategies. this potential should be exploited more effectively. More attention, in particu- • Most ICT-related interventions lar, should be paid to: which are currently taking place are either at a macro or a micro level • high-level meteorological and other – intergovernmental dialogue, na- climate monitoring, using satellites, tional strategies, large-scale projects sensors and other ICTs, and associ- such as weather monitoring by satel- ated early warning systems; lite and large-scale sensor networks; or projects aimed at increasing • knowledge-sharing among climate awareness and information for vul- change and development profession- nerable communities and individu- als; and als which will help them identify and manage their own adaptation needs. • using locally available communica- There is a shortage of the meso level tions media (broadcast services and activity which is essential in bridg- mobile phones, and internet as it ing the gap between grand strategies becomes more readily available) to and local circumstances. support local communities’ adapta- tion efforts with information and ad- • Use of ICTs to support adaptation vice, and to integrate local informa- to climate change is concentrated tion and knowledge more effectively in a small number of development into large-scale planning. domains, notably agriculture, wa- ter and coastal zone management. A number of factors will be critical to The degree to which these actions, enabling governments and develop- and adaptation efforts more broadly, ment partners to maximize the value of are coordinated with the broader ICTs’ potential. These include: 17 • improvements in the availabil- • awareness-raising and capacity- ity and quality of communications building at all levels, from decision- networks, including rapid progress makers to residents in vulnerable toward ubiquity in the availability communities, concerning the im- of mobile networks, rapid growth portance of adaptation to climate in broadband networks, and lower change, the ways in which adapta- prices for end-users in communica- tion can be achieved, and the poten- tions markets; tial role of ICTs in this regard; • commitment on the part of politi- • improved governance that is capable cal leaders and development policy- of taking advantage of better infor- makers to integrate adaptation ef- mation resources and translating fectively in development planning strategy more effectively into imple- and to integrate ICTs effectively in mentation on the ground; and adaptation; • the financial resources required to achieve these goals. case studies ICTs for Climate change adaptaTion in Africa 4 19 In reviewing the evidence on the use of • adaptation and agriculture: the needs ICTs in climate change adaptation in of farmers in Uganda and the role that Africa, three country case studies were community knowledge workers play conducted. These studies paid particular as local information brokers for shar- attention to: ing knowledge that can aid in adapta- tion (see Box 1). Box 1 Climate change adaptation in agriculture – the role of Community Knowledge Workers in Uganda Established by the Grameen Foun- • Information about available stor- dation, Community Knowledge age facilities. Workers (CKWs) in Uganda are a network of locally-based “trusted in- CKWs are themselves farmers and termediaries” who interface between are elected by fellow members of content producers and smallholder local cooperative farmer groups. farmer groups. They conduct mobile They must speak English, must be based surveys of their communities, judged innovative in their farming and act as the conduit for dissemi- practices, must be willing to serve nation of centralized information to their communities, and must as- community farmers. The objectives pire to meet target objectives which of the CKWs include improvements are regularly checked and moni- in farm productivity, increases in tored through an online dashboard. revenue and the collection of in- They are incentivized with a rented formation that can help farmers to smartphone kit which is preloaded meet their needs. Specific types of with applications concerned with information that the CKWs transmit crop production such as land prep- which are relevant to climate change aration and weather projections; adaptation include: a solar or bicycle operated battery recharge system to power commu- • advice on land preparation based nity cell phones; and a shirt, hat and on available weather forecasts, vest to indicate their role. especially expected rainfall; By July 2011, over 20,000 farm- • information on pests (farmers can ers and households had registered send pictures of an infested crop to receive information by a total of and seek diagnostic advice); 463 CKWs. The initiative aimed to achieve a total of 800 CKWs by the • information about value-chains, end of 2011. market prices and opportunities; and 20 • adaptation knowledge sharing platforms in Senegal such as Africa- among policy makers and practitio- Adapt (see Box 2). ners: the use of knowledge-sharing Box 2 Adaptation and knowledge sharing for decision making Senegal: AfricaAdapt - knowledge Limited financial resources and sharing for adaptation: the challenge of establishing strong academic and research AfricaAdapt aims to facilitate the bases have contributed to the flow of climate change adaptation slow uptake of remote sensing knowledge for sustainable liveli- on the continent. African remote hoods between researchers, policy- sensing data, information and makers, civil society organizations applications have been used in and communities that are vulner- many different sectors, including able to climate variability and cli- agriculture and rural development, mate change across the continent. climate and weather analysis, This distributed community of prac- exploitation of natural resources, tice (CoP) is supported by a web- forestry, natural disaster and water site that lists face-to-face events resources management. and allows members to upload their profiles and showcase their work. • The South African Risk and AfricaAdapt is animated by four net- Vulnerability Atlas (SARVA). work conveners (called Knowledge This electronic spatial database Sharing Officers), one from each of directly supports access to and the main partners. visualization of data about the im- pact of global change (including Other applications with potential for climate change) on human and adaptation, information gathering, natural environments. The Atlas knowledge sharing and decision initiative provides access to a support: large collection of scientific data and knowledge, including climate • Satellite and remote sensing and weather related datasets – The number and range of re- including forecasts of rainfall, mote sensing (RS) infrastructure wind and temperature, seasonal and applications has continued to forecasts, and climate change grow in Africa, though this is pri- projections for rainfall, tempera- marily located in a few countries ture and circulation. (South Africa, Nigeria and Algeria). 21 • adaptation and water: the manage- geographic information systems ment of water in Malawi through (see Box 3). community based participatory Box 3 Adaptation and water management: Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) in Malawi Mangochi is an old town set on the resources, food security and the west bank of the Shire River, which availability of water for irrigated agri­ flows between Lakes Malawi and culture and domestic consumption. Malombe, and is close to important forest reserves and nature parks. As part of the programme’s work, Using Participatory Geographic In- communities were trained and re- formation Systems (PGIS) and prob- quired to map their villages using lem tree analysis, deforestation has GPS devices, to generate maps been identified as a major environ- of their own communities, and to mental problem that has left much create a centrally located model of the area’s customary land bare, that can be used to determine cur- leading to soil erosion, loss of soil rent and future water needs. The fertility, siltation of rivers and water outcome of the project suggested holes, loss of biodiversity and flood- that men produced less detailed ing in low lying areas around the maps than women, who more pre- Malombe and Shire Valley. cisely located fuel, water, forestry and areas prone to floods and The PGIS project established to ad- droughts. The exercise illustrated dress the problem of deforestation the extensive knowledge of the im- was conducted in a study area of mediate local community as well nine village communities that are as its susceptibility to the impacts within 500 metres of a water body of climate change or variability. (as stipulated by the National Water Communities were empowered by Policy), and 2000 metres of a source the initiative which improved their of fuel for food supply. Its objective understanding of the presence or was to engage government officials lack of resources in their immediate and local communities in the process surroundings, of climatic variations of participatory decision making for and of approaches to developing environmental and natural resource communal adaptation strategies, management. Through this process, including long-term strategies. It it aimed to establish a baseline as- also improved communities’ ca- sessment and to investigate cli- pacity to negotiate with govern- mate change adaptation strategies ment agencies over issues such as concerned with access to forest the location of water points. 22 While the case studies have been pre- it is important also to consider the sented through the sector lenses of various applications aligned according agriculture and livelihoods, knowledge to the ICTs and adaptation framework, management and water management, as shown in Table 1. Table 1 ICTs and climate change adaptation framework Tool & Application Categories Scale Examples Policy Considerations • Early warning Systems • Weather Management • Open Data Policies • MET Systems • Acquisition • Satellite and Remote Sensing Systems Large scale implementations • Smart Systems • Infrastructure deployment of ICTs • Sensor Networks • Geographic Information Systems • Global Positioning Systems • Capacity building, training, and education • Modelling • Knowledge Management Systems • Communication strategies • Information Sharing Systems • Public information, outreach and awareness Small scale • Planning and decision tools • Partnerships implementations of ICTs • Mobile Phone Applications • Access and Affordability of Access • General Packet Radio Systems (GPRS) 23 Continuum of Adaptation Activities Addresing Drivers Building Response Capacity Managing Climate Risk Confronting Climate Change of Vulnerability Examples: Examples: Examples: Examples: Micro-credit schemes; Improving information and Introduction of drought- Reducing potential for glacial immunization programmes communications infrastructure; resistant crops; lake outburst flood; training in GIS technology emergency response systems building sea walls • Increasing the number of weather stations (METs) • Distance early warning system • Satellite and remote sensing systems • Community flood information system • Hartebeespoort Dam programme • Himalayas glacial lakes sensors • Malawi Participatory GIS • South Africa Risk and Vulnerability Atlas • Water-related information system, Mekong Delta • PRECIS regional climate modelling system (WISDOM) • Open Risk Data Initiative • Uganda Community Knowledge workers • Climate Change Explorer Tool • AfricaAdapt • AfricaAdapt • Ushahidi • Ushahidi • MPESA • Kilimo Salama • TextToChange Vulnerability Focus Impact Focus recommendations ICTs for Climate change adaptaTion in Africa 5 � Recommendations for government and develop- ment partners p25 � Recommendations for governments and donors  p27 25 Three broad observations should per- the effective use of ICTs. Technology vade the thinking of governments and can only deliver services and appli- development partners in this field of cations if that underlying infrastruc- ICTs and climate change adaptation: ture is available. It needs strengthen- ing across the continent. 1. Understanding local circumstances – the ecosystem itself and its social 3. Human skills are just as essential to and cultural environment – is es- the application of ICTs for adapta- sential if adaptation interventions tion as infrastructure, equipment are to be successful. In this field, as and applications. ICTs can play a in others, large-scale programmes crucial role in supporting public will only work if they respond to the outreach and building awareness granularity of local contexts. of the impact of climate change and adaptation, as well as offer- 2. Reliable, high quality communica- ing opportunities to address those tions infrastructure is essential for challenges. Recommendations for government and development partners Recommendation 1 Use a systematic framework to structure thinking A systematic framework, such as that the water and agriculture sectors, illustrated in Figure 1, is fundamental on weather prospects and water to structuring the approach to the role hazards, land management and of ICTs in adapting to climate change. adaptive capacity of farmers and Such a framework should focus on: pastoralists. • reducing vulnerability, such as on In addressing direct impacts of cli- ICTs that contribute to improvements mate change, the framework should in health, food, nutrition and other focus on: social drivers of vulnerability; and • developing climate change projec- • building adaptive capacity, such as tions at national, regional and sec- on ICT-enabled interventions in toral levels; and 26 • programme and project interven- establishment and management of tions in urban planning; coastal and early warning systems, and the deliv- water resources management, the ery of disaster and emergency relief. Recommendation 2 Build capacity for integrating ICTs into national strategic adaptation plans Building the capacity for integrating policy makers and planners from ICTs into adaptation policy develop- those working on ICTs and telecom- ment will have significant benefits. munications. Planned interventions Particular attention should be paid to should be undertaken to bring those including more detailed application responsible for adaptation policy and of ICTs in National Adaptation Plans planning (particularly National Adap- in LDCs and adaptation planning ef- tation Plans) together with ICT/tele- forts in other countries. Traditional communications government staff to bureaucratic “silos” separate environ- work together for more effective plan- ment, climate change and adaptation ning and implementation. Recommendation 3 Involve the private sector more extensively in planning and implementation Engagement of the ICT private sec- and other areas of innovation. More tor in climate change adaptation is less work is needed to engage strategically substantial and widespread than it is with the private ICT sector, to review in mitigation, where the private sector where privately motivated interests in is directly involved in developing clean applications could directly or serendipi- technologies, energy efficiency, demate- tously enhance adaptation while also rialization to reduce carbon footprints delivering commercial value. 27 Recommendations for governments and donors Recommendation 4 Embed ICT planning in the adaptation planning process Use of ICTs should be embedded in seen as a window of opportunity for the the adaptation planning processes that inclusion of ICT-relevant interventions. are already underway in most African Preparation for these should include a countries. In particular, for the LDCs, capacity building programme to review the preparation of second generation where and how investments in ICTs might National Adaptation Plans should be be best integrated within these plans. Recommendation 5 Develop open data policies across Africa Access to data is a fundamental re- across Africa, with a view to making quirement for adaptation planning. environmental and meteorological data Model policy frameworks and guid- open to all interests (public, academic, ance could be developed for countries and private). Recommendation 6 Invest in tools and infrastructure There is considerable scope to invest in tools • geographic information systems/ and infrastructure that will have a direct im- modelling/planning and decision- pact on knowledge of current and projected making tools; climate change impacts. These include: • knowledge management systems, • early warning systems, weather man- information sharing systems, plan- agement, meteorological systems, ning and decision-making tools; and satellite and remote sensing systems; • mobile phone applications and GPRS. • smart systems and sensor networks; 28 Recommendation 7 Support for the sharing of knowledge and action for adaptation Adaptation policy makers and planners • mechanisms for managing, sharing need to be able to connect with and learn and developing flows of communi- from one another about what is work- cation with vulnerable communities. ing and what is not – and this knowl- edge exchange needs to be informed by The potential for using crowd-sourcing real experience on the ground. Two ma- techniques to address these gaps should jor gaps need to be addressed: be explored, particularly those that are enabled by mobile phones, to gener- • mechanisms for sharing information ate real-time data on both acute and between platforms, and for meta-level chronic impacts of climate change. search-and-retrieval access across all platforms; and 29 Further reading Karanaisos, S. (2011) New and Emergent ICTs and Climate Change in Developing Countries Centre for Development Informatics, University of Manchester, Manchester http://www.niccd.org/KaranasiosClimateChangeEmergentICTs.pdf McGray, H., Hammill, A. and Bradley, R. (2007) Weathering the Storm: Options for Framing Adaptation and Development World Resources Institute, Washington DC http://pdf.wri.org/weathering_the_storm.pdf Ospina, A. and Heeks, R. (2010) Linking ICTs and Climate Change Adaptation: A Conceptual Framework for e-Resilience and e-Adaptation Centre for Development Informatics, University of Manchester http://www.niccd.org/ConceptualPaper.pdf Souter, D., MacLean, D., Akoh, B., and Creech, H. (2010) ICTs, the Internet and Sustainable Development: Towards a New Paradigm IISD, Winnipeg http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2010/icts_internet_sd_new_paradigm.pdf www.eTransformAfrica.org Publications for eTransform Africa include the Summary Report, Main Report which includes an overview chapter and summary chapters of the full reports, and the full reports themselves covering the following sectors and cross-cutting themes: Sectors themes: Agriculture Climate Change Adaptation Education Financial Services Modernizing Government Health Cross-cutting themes: Regional Trade and Integration ICT Competitiveness For a more detailed presentation on the role of ICT in climate change adaptation in Africa, see the full eTransform Africa sector report: http://www.etransformafrica.org. Graphic design by Marie-Anne Chambonnier eTransform AFRICA AFRICAN UNION