5.1. General conclusions

Climate change: The communications challenge of separate spheres of experience

The effects of climate change are felt in different ways by different people, groups and communities across the globe. Similarly, the knowledge of how to deal with climate change exists in pockets at the community level – where, for instance, farmers gather to discuss how to deal with deteriorating rainfall conditions – or is isolated in expensive laboratories, testing stations and conference halls in the fields of scientific research and humanitarian causes. ICTs have a fundamental role to play in narrowing this experience gap so that meeting the challenge of adapting to climate change becomes a collective and informed response, and so that information and knowledge are shared widely and fluidly between different stakeholders.

Systematic integration of ICTs as strategic tools in response to climate change

There is no need to “reinvent the wheel”, since good practices and lessons learned from existing development programmes on the strategic use of ICTs can be built upon. There is a need to apply and build on good practices found in current ICT and development approaches (i.e., access, voice and networking) within specific development sectors (education, health, governance, sustainable livelihoods, etc.) when responding to climate change. Wherever possible, climate change adaptation strategies need to be integrated into current development programmes as a cross-cutting concern. As the practical examples suggest, there is a need to focus on the “C” in ICTs rather than the “T” (i.e., “communication”, “capacity development” and “content” rather than “technology” or hardware).

The need for awareness raising and capacity development among all development stakeholders

Awareness raising and capacity development around the potential of using ICTs to adapt to climate change need to happen at all levels. All relevant stakeholders should be included in these interventions, including donor agencies, implementing partners, governments and beneficiary communities. To achieve systemic change, a holistic capacity development approach needs to be applied, such as the one depicted by the Capacity Development Butterfly model in Annex 2.

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