Role of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Environmental Conservation and ManagementENV 2202: Environmental Conservation and ManagementUniversity of GuyanaPresenter :Vidyaratha Kissoon email vidyak1@gmail.com3 May, 2013

Outline

Concepts around ICT

Policy background to e-Environment

Challenges to ICT use

Applications

Ideas for action

Discussion

Concepts

Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) a broad based technology (including its methods, management and application) that supports the creation, storage, manipulation and communication of information (French 1996 and re-quoted)

Some scope include radio, television

Digital devices of all types

http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/nwabueze-ozioko.htm

Concepts

Information Societycreation, distribution, use, integration and manipulation of information is a significant economic, political, and cultural activity. The aim of the information society is to gain competitive advantage internationally, through using information technology (IT) in a creative and productive way

Knowledge Economy - wealth is created through the economic exploitation of understanding

Concepts

E-Resilience Defined as the ability of a system to withstand, recover and change in the face of an external disturbance (such as acute or chronic climate change), resilience constitutes an important property of livelihood systems which, through a set of seven dynamic sub-properties (robustness, scale, redundancy, rapidity, flexibility, self-organisation and learning) can enhance adaptive capacity. E-resilience is a property of livelihood systems by which ICTs interact with a set of resilience sub-properties, enabling the system to adapt to the effects of climate change. (http://www.niccd.wordpress.com )

Concepts

Green EconomyThe green economy is one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. Green economy is an economy or economic development model based on sustainable development and a knowledge of ecological economics. (UNEP)

Concepts

Green computingGreen computing, green IT or ICT Sustainability, refers to environmentally sustainable computing or IT. In the article Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices,(2008) San Murugesan defines the field of green computing as "the study and practice of designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers, and associated subsystemssuch as monitors, printers, storage devices, and networking and communications systems efficiently and effectively with minimal or no impact on the environment.Hardware design, software design, power management, recycling , telecommuting

Policy Background

Agenda 21 (Rio : 1992)

World Summit of the Information Society 2003 and 2005

United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, The future we want (Rio+10 2012)

Guyana's Low Carbon Development Strategy (2013 update)

Policy Background

Agenda 21

Sharing information for Sustainable development

Creation of SDNP around the world including Guyana

Policy Background

WSIS 2003 and 2005

C7(20) . E-environment

Governments, in cooperation with other stakeholders are encouraged to use and promote ICTs as an instrument for environmental protection and the sustainable use of natural resources.

Government, civil society and the private sector are encouraged to initiate actions and implement projects and programmes for sustainable production and consumption and the environmentally safe disposal and recycling of discarded hardware and components used in ICTs. (2005)

Establish monitoring systems, using ICTs, to forecast and monitor the impact of natural and man-made disasters, particularly in developing countries, LDCs and small economies .

The future we want

Article 44 : ICTs and Multi-stakeholder Engagement

Article 65 : ICTs, Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Building

Article 114 : ICTs, Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture

Article 128 : ICTs and Energy Efficiency

Article 230 ICTs and Youth Education

(Taken from http://www.niccd.wordpress.com )

a) ICTs and Multi-stakeholder Engagement

Article 44 of the outcome document recognises the role of ICTs facilitating the flow of information between governments and the public, enabling public engagement in sustainable development. The document calls for governments to work toward improved access to ICT, especially broad-band network and services, and bridge the digital divide, recognizing the contribution of international cooperation in this regard.

b) ICTs, Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Building

Article 65 of the outcome document acknowledges the potential of ICTs to promote knowledge exchange, technical cooperation and capacity building for sustainable development. The article emphasizes the role of these tools in fostering experiences and knowledge sharing in different areas of sustainable development in an open and transparent manner.

c) ICTs, Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture

With the aim of improving agricultural productivity and sustainability, Article 114 of the outcome document calls for government action to improve access to information, technical knowledge and know-how, including through new ICTs that empower farmers, fishers and foresters to choose among diverse methods of achieving sustainable agricultural production.

d) ICTs and Energy Efficiency

Article 128 of the outcome document recognizes the need to improve energy efficiency and the role of energy-efficient technologies in addressing sustainable development and climate change goals, including energy efficiency measures in urban planning, buildings, and transportation, and in the production of goods and services. These constitute areas in which ICTs have proven potential to reduce emissions through smart applications (e.g. smart motor systems, smart logistics, smart buildings and smart grids).

e) ICTs and Youth Education

Recognising the importance of youth education and of ensuring that education systems provide the tools to pursue sustainable development, Article 230 of the outcome document calls for a more effective use of ICTs to enhance learning outcomes.

Guyana's LCDS

ICT as a contributor to low carbon economy

The LCDS highlighted the importance of enabling access to high quality ICT infrastructure in all parts of Guyana. Guyana aims to have one of the most inclusive digital societies in the world by 2015, where all citizens have access to IT and high-speed internet. (March 2013 update)

Expanding the Digital Economy and Avoiding a Digital DivideFibre Optic Cable (E-Governance)

One laptop per Family (OLPF)

Telecommunications Liberalisation

Challenges

eWaste

CostFree and Open Source Software

Skills

Policy/legislative framework

e-Waste

90,000 laptops in three years time?

Green computing

Video clip

Cost

Digital divide issues

Universal access to informationOLPF as an example

Use of Free and Open Source SoftwareOperating systems, applications, databases

Quantum, Sahana, Ushahidi

Use of open source hardware

Skills

Basic literacy

Digital literacy

Skills in programming and application development

Skills in data analysis for knowledge creation

Policy/Legislative Framework

Policy framework 2006 ICT4D policy developed but not implemented

Legislative framework E-commerce legislation

Security concerns

Intellectual Property

Applications

Geographical Information Systems (Iwokrama)

Remote sensing, Early Warning systems

Disaster Risk Management

The future we wantMulti Stakeholder Engagement

Knowledge Sharing, Capacity building

Food security and sustainable agriculture

Energy Efficiency

Youth Education

Tools Websites, social media, mobile apps, etc

Remote Sensing, EWS

Disaster Risk Management
Sahana

Disaster Risk Management
- Ushahidi

Applications

ICT & Multi-Stakeholder EngagementE-governance

Advocacy & Activism

Online journalism

E-governance

E-governance

Advocacy & Activism

Online journalism

Knowledge Exchange and Capacity Building

UNDP's Adaptation Learning Mechanism platform http://www.adaptationlearning.net/

Climate Change Planning http://www.climateplanning.org/tools

University open course warehttp://ocw.mit.edu/courses/environment-courses/

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/education/tutorials.html

Using ICTs to improve design (CAD)

Food security and Sustainable agriculture

Energy efficiency

Using ICTs to monitor energy consumption

Using ICT to design energy efficient devices, machines, buildings, etc

Capital Bikeshare Programme (clip)

Youth Education

Micro-learning project designed to increase rate at which children learn factsStabroek News 28 April, 2003

What can you do?

How are you using ICTs?

What can you do to create the applications?IISD Case Study on Africa

How much are you aware of current uses of ICT?

Anything else?

(Review of materials shared)

Resources shared

Video clipsE waste : A big Issue

Capital Bikeshare

This presentation

DocumentsMarch 2013 LCDS Update

ECLAC Newsletter No14 ICT & Environment

Africa Transformation-Ready: The Strategic Application of Information and Communication Technologies to Climate Change Adaptation in Africa

The Future we want