ICTs and Communitybased Climate Change
Adaptation
Angelica V Ospina and Richard Heeks
Centre for Development Informatics
University of Manchester, UK
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/cdi
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1. Understanding Climate Change Adaptation
Vulnerability
Context
Vulnerability
Dimensions
CLIMATE
CHANGE:
Livelihoods &
Finance
Socio-Political
Health
Habitat &
Migrations
Food Security
Water Supply
ACUTE SHOCKS
+
CHRONIC
TRENDS
ADAPTATION
Recovery and
Change
DEVELOPMENT
OUTCOMES
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Ospina & Heeks (2010)
Relation between ICTs and CC Adaptation:
Three Levels
ICTs
CLIMATE CHANGE
ADAPTATION
NATIONAL
Level
SECTORAL
Level
COMMUNITY
Level
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Ospina & Heeks (2011)
2. Rural Agricultural Communities (RACs)
+
RURAL
AGRICULTURAL
COMMUNITY
Importance of
Agricultural
Sector
Food Security
and Local
Livelihoods
Conservation of
Natural Habitats
and Biodiversity
Cultural Identity
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Poverty and
Marginalisation
(economic,
political and
social)
Geographic
Remoteness
High
Environmental
Risk and Climatic
Exposure
Climate Change AWARENESS
Climate Change MITIGATION
Climate Change MONITORING
Climate Change ADAPTATION
Ospina & Heeks (2012)
3. ICTs and CC Interventions in RACs
Role of ICTs
Climate Change
AWARENESS
Climate Change
MITIGATION
ICT Intervention Focus
 Initial/Generic Awareness of Climate
Change
 Specific Awareness of Local Issues
 Natural Resource-Oriented:
-Forest Management
-Agriculture Management
-Land Evaluation and Use
 Capacity-Building Oriented
Climate Change
MONITORING
 External Data
 Local Data
 Hybrid Local-External Systems
Climate Change
ADAPTATION
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 Vulnerability-Oriented:
-Food + Water Security
-Income Generation
-Health
-Infrastructure
-Political Participation
-Security
 Climatic Threat-Oriented
Ospina & Heeks (2012)
4. Key Enablers and Constraints

Access
 Knowledge Infomediaries
 Content Appropriateness
 Multi-stakeholder Engagement
 New and Traditional Knowledge
 Focus on the Information Chain
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5. Action Steps
 Focus on Income Generation
 Localise Interventions
 Foster the Role of Local Knowledge
Infomediaries
 Build Capacity for Emergent Action
 Drive the Whole Information Chain
 Combine Different Applications
 Build upon Traditional Knowledge
 Integrate Climate Change & ICTs
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WORKING GROUPS
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Informatics
Future Agenda Items
One Key Lesson Learned:
- About ICTs and community adaptation to climate change in developing
countries
One Key Strategic Action Priority:
- For organisations involved with ICTs and community adaptation to
climate change in developing countries
One Key Question:
- For the future ICCD research agenda, about ICTs and community
adaptation to climate change in developing countries
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Useful Links
• NICCD Project Website: www.niccd.org
• Online Network on ICTs, Climate Change
& Development:
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/niccd
• Blog: http://niccd.wordpress.com/
• Sponsor: www.idrc.ca
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Informatics