The role of ICT in tackling
climate change issues in
Africa
Climate Change
Adaptation and ICT
(CHAI)
Edith Ofwona Adera
Senior Program Specialist
Climate Change and Water Program,
International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
This work is carried out with the aid of a
grant from the International
Development Research Centre, Ottawa,
Canada.
Background and Problem
Africa most
vulnerable
continent to
climate
change &
variability
(IPCC, 2007)
CC&V
threatening
Uganda’s
ecosystems
and
livelihood
(NAPA 2007)
CC&V
increasing
frequency
and intensity
of severe
weather
events
Uganda
ranks among
the lowest
20 waterpoor
countries
Imperative
to adapt to
climate
related
water
impacts
Climate Change Adaptation and ICT Project
Objectives
DEVELOPMENT
To strengthen the adaptive
capacity of “cattle corridor”
communities in Uganda to
climate induced water stress and
hazards through the use of ICTs
RESEARCH
To determine the role and
potential of ICTs in enhancing
the adaptive capacity of
communities in Uganda to cope
with water challenges.
CHAI Pilot
Districts
Research Design
Research Questions
… Research Questions
1. What are the major
water-related
vulnerabilities in the
cattle corridor?
2. What are the impacts
of the water-related
hazards in the cattle
corridor?
3. What are the information and
communication needs of communities?
4. How accurate, timely and relevant are
the existing mechanisms for sharing
climate-related information at community
and government levels?
Research Design: Household Baseline Survey (640 HH)
Exposure
to Hazards
Adaptive
Capacity
TechnologyInfrastructure
TechnologyAccess
• Hazards
• Access to water
• Cellular network
• Radio
• Physiographic
properties
• Livelihood and
income diversity
• Perceived
susceptibility
• Access and use of
climate info
• Current Adaptation
responses
• Support inst.
• FM radio
• Electricity
• Phones
• TV or other
technology
• Perceptions on
exposure to
climatic hazards
Research Design: Focus Group Discussion (15 FGDs) and In-Depth
Interview (34 KII)
Adaptive
Adaptation
Current
Exposure
Capacity
responses
info needs
to Hazards
• Major hazards
• Water sources
• Temporal variation
of hazards
• Access to water
• Actions during
water stress
• Access and use of
climate info
• Support inst.
• What is exposed?
• Who is most
exposed?
• Indigenous
practices
• Coping and
recovery
mechanisms
• Factors affecting
coping mechanism
• Info needs of
communities and
support orgs.
• Trusted sources of
information
• Preferred
communication
options
Research Design: Geographic Information System – Vulnerability Mapping
Design and Operation of the
Climate Information System
Livestock and
crop market
info
• Collected using mobile devices
• Transmitted to server over cellular network
• Automatically aggregated at sub-county level on a
server
Weather data
• Collected using mobile devices on a daily basis
• Transmitted to server at Meteorology (daily)
• Used for generating and improving seasonal forecasts
Other spatial
data sets
• Satellite imagery, river flows, historical rainfall data,
digital elevation model, etc.
• Generate exposure maps, rainfall and temperature
projections, drought and flood scenarios (using GIS)
Data
Collection
and
Reporting
Design and Operation of the
Climate Information System
Weather info
Mobile
phones
Drought and flood
coping
Water harvesting
FM Radio
Adaptation
Info
Email
Market info
Interactive
voice
Prevention of
Diseases, termites
Print
Information
Dissemination
Short messages for
SMS broadcasting
IVR recordings
Regular radio
broadcasts
In languages preferred
by users
Research Results: Exposure to Hazards
Drought
Shift in
seasons
Floods
Climate
related
diseases
Heavy
rain
Land
slides
Bush fire
Research Results: Standardized Precipitation Index
Research Results: Vulnerability Rating - Nakasongola
Research Results: Impacts
Water
shortage
Loss of
crop and
livestock
Diminished
livelihood
Migration
Conflict
Diseases
Asset
damage
Distressed
sale of
assets
Deforestation
Termites
Research Results: Summary of Adaptation
Information Needs
Climate
awareness
Water
harvesting
Localized
weather
info
Drought
Early
Warning
Flood
Early
Warning
Livestock
and crop
market
info
Termite
control
Current Use of the System
Seasonal forecasts
generated by
meteorology
Climate awareness
info generated by the
Climate Change Unit,
localized at districts
Advisories to farmers
based on seasonal
forecast by districts
(e.g. early maturing
crops, where to get
seeds, etc)
Information
disseminated
to communities
using multiple
channels
Weekly market
information at subcounty level
Low cost water
harvesting including
where to get support,
disease prevention,
etc. generated and
localized at districts
Next Steps
Entering Climate
Data
into
Mobile
• Refine temperature and rainfall projections based
on Regional Circulation Models
Phone
•Assess efficacy of information system and make
improvements
•Gather impact data (mid-line and end-line), analyze
and report
•Continue building the capacity of partners
Confirming receipt
of weather data
Market data
collection
Market data collection: sample
screenshots
Informed decision: what
and when to sell
Adaptive capacities strengthened: Examples
•High quality seasonal forecasts help vulnerable farmers make informed
choices about the management of their livestock and crops.
•Information on coping with droughts such as advising farmers to plant early
maturing crops, where to get support and other advise helps them cope with
the impacts of climate change/variability.
•In times of stress, such as prolonged droughts, one of the coping mechanisms
of pastoralists is selling their livestock. Weekly market information
disseminated by the project helps them make informed decisions about what
and where to sell avoiding the possible loss of their assets to middlemen.
•Information on prevention of climate-related diseases and termite infestation
minimizes the loss of human and animals.
•Information on low-cost water harvesting techniques helps communities cope
with water stress
Challenges
•Coordination of the activities of multiple partners
•Lack of localized adaptation information/content
•Units of measurement at market places not
standardized and vary from one district to the other
•High cost of radio broadcasts
•Lack of high quality historical weather data
Implementing Partners
Uganda Ministry of Water and Environment:
• Climate Change Unit
• Meteorology Department
• Wetlands Management
• Water Resources Directorate
FHI 360, TechLab
Uganda Chartered HealthNet (UCH)
Makerere University:
• College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
• Biological sciences Department
• College of Health Sciences
THANK YOU!