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“For millions of the world’s poorest people, climate change is not a future scenario, it is already undermining their efforts to escape poverty and reinforcing their vulnerability.” – UNDP Human Development Report 2007/2008

As we know, climate change is caused by a rise in greenhouse gases⁸ that has led to increased concentration of these gases in the atmosphere, which in turn has led to the greenhouse effect depicted in Figure 1.

The United Nations calls climate change “the defining human development challenge of the 21st century.”⁷It constitutes a key multiplier and amplifier of current development challenges, further hindering efforts to reduce suffering and alleviate poverty. Vulnerability patterns of the poor and marginalised are fundamentally changing through climate change, while those least responsible and most affected are least informed about the likely impact on their livelihoods and are systematically excluded from policy discourses.

Patrick P. Kalas, Programme Officer, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Division of Knowledge and Learning Processes/Knowledge Sharing and Networking/ICT Team⁶

Key points on ICTs and climate change

• Climate change is not a new development phenomenon but amplifies and magnifies existing development challenges, hindering efforts to reduce suffering and alleviate poverty.

“Technology’s reach extends humanity’s grasp.”– Anonymous

This publication emerged from a Building Communication Opportunities (BCO) Alliance learning event on information and communications technologies (ICTs) and climate change held in Johannesburg on 22 December 2008.

Planting the knowledge seed: Adapting to climate change using ICTs
Concepts, current knowledge and innovative examples

Edited by Patrick P Kalas (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation) and Alan Finlay (Open Research)

September 2009

• Preface
• 1. Overview of publication