Overview of publication

"Technology's reach extends humanity's grasp."– Anonymous

This publication invites you to think outside the box. It takes you on a journey to explore the practical linkages between climate change, access to and sharing of information and knowledge, communication for development and ICTs in general. More specifically, it considers how everyday information and communication tools such as radios, mobile phones, personal computers, the internet and interactive media can help reduce the risks of climate change faced by the most vulnerable segments of the global village through providing access to and the sharing of timely information and critical knowledge.

The target audience of this publication are not experts on ICTs or climate change, but rather development practitioners and policy makers overall: those who will be faced with the need to interpret the demands of climate change, and apply these to their work in the context of the possibilities afforded by ICTs.

More specifically, the publication aims to:

• Provide an overview of linking the strategic use of ICTs to climate change
• Summarise the discussions and conclusions of the BCO Learning Day on ICTs and Climate Change held in December 2008 in Johannesburg, South Africa
• Demonstrate innovative applications through concrete project examples
• Start a dialogue and stimulate a debate about the added value and applicability of ICTs in climate change programmes.

To set the context and significance, the following facts are worth mentioning:

• Climate change has been coined the "defining human development challenge of the 21st century"¹ while climate stability has been classified as a key "global public good" by the International Task Force on Global Public Goods, because it is a good that "benefits all countries and, therefore, all persons."²
• Equally, access to knowledge joins the list of key global public goods according to the same task force, while the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) calls for an "integration of global public goods into development strategies."³
• The OECD recognises that ICTs "have become major drivers of economic growth and social development. ICTs are crucial to poverty reduction and can improve access to health and education services, as well as create new sources of income and employment for lowincome populations."⁴
• According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), global mobile phone subscribers will reach 4.5 billion by 2012, with most users having an income of less than USD 2 a day.
• After years of lobbying, community radio legislation passed in India and Bangladesh has opened new communication channels in remote areas in line with the right to access information, and resulted in the inclusion in decision-making processes of marginalised groups and communities.

Climate change, access to knowledge, and evolutions in ICTs such as mobile phones and interactive community radios are closely linked. Risk and vulnerability can be reduced through ICTenabled information provision and the facilitation of knowledge sharing, which can ultimately help enhance coping strategies and save lives. Despite the obstacles and challenges to equitable access in many developing countries, concrete examples demonstrate that opportunities to adapt to climate change using ICTs exist. The principal argument put forward in this document is that the strategic use of ICTs within climate change programmes presents an innovative way to help make those efforts more efficient and effective.

Overview of chapters

The introductory chapter frames the issue by conceptualising what ICTs are, how they have been applied within ongoing development programmes, and how the linkages to climate change can be established through building on existing, practical experiences. Furthermore, the linkages to and potential of communication and interactive media are explored within the context of climate change. The chapter also highlights that there is a need for systematic awareness raising and capacity development at all levels to embrace the application of ICTs as strategic tools within climate change programmes.

This is followed by a concrete demonstration of innovative project examples from Africa, South-East Asia and Latin America showing how ICTs can be utilised as strategic tools to contribute to climate change adaptation programmes.

A summary of the BCO Learning Day on ICTs and Climate Change held in December 2008 is then provided, including key conclusions and recommendations that emerged.

In conclusion, the publication summarises the key points emerging from the conceptual overview, the learning day and the practical examples, with a few actionable recommendations.

It is important to note that this publication is just the start of the discussion. In order to facilitate a continuation of this dialogue, an interactive web platform⁵ has been established inviting you to share your reactions, experiences and questions. We hope you find this publication stimulating and, most importantly, practical, in order to translate this food for thought into tangible action. And since eating tends to further wet one’s appetite, we invite you to consider visiting and contributing to the interactive web site and look forward to continuing this conversation with you.

Patrick P. Kalas and Alan Finlay

1. United Nations Development Programme Human Development Report 2007/2008 Fighting climate change: Human solidarity in a divided world (New York: UNDP, 2008) hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2007-2008
2. International Task Force on Global Public Goods: www.gpgtaskforce.org/bazment.aspx
3. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Reflection Exercise: Investing in Development – A Common Cause in a Changing World (Paris: OECD, 2009)
4. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Internet Access for Development (Paris: OECD, 2009) www.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/display.asp?lang=en&sf1=DI&st1=5KZBVK64FV6G
5. www.bcoalliance.org/Climate-Change