[EBOOK] ICTs for e-Environment Guidelines for Developing Countries with a Focus on Climate Change (ICT Applications and Cybersecurity Division - Policies and Strategies Department - ITU Telecommunication Development Sector), Published by ITU

The impact of human activities on the environment - and on climate change in particular - are issues of growing concern confronting life on Earth. At the same time, information and communication technologies (ICTs) are being rapidly deployed around the world. Although ICTs require energy resources, they also offer a number of opportunities to advance global environmental research, planning and action. This includes monitoring and protecting the environment as well as mitigation of and adaptation to climate change.

This report, ICTs for e-Environment, reviews key ICT trends and provides an overview of the impact that ICTs have on the environment and climate change as well as their role in helping mankind to mitigate and adapt to these changes. Intended as guidelines for developing countries, the report approaches the topic from a developmental perspective and is based on consultations with key actors and extensive online research. The ICTs for e-Environment report documents current activities and initiatives and makes a set of recommendations for strengthening the capacity of developing countries to make beneficial use of ICTs to mitigate and adapt to environmental change, including climate change.

The ICTs for e-Environment report presents the results of research that demonstrate that ICTs can help to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while increasing energy efficiency and reducing the use of natural resources. This is achieved through the use of ICTs for travel replacement, dematerialization and reduced energy consumption. The report indicates there is a need for more research to understand the long-term impacts of ICTs on human activities. For example, there is a need to undertake life cycle assessments (LCAs) of ICT impacts on the environment and especially on GHG emissions and energy consumption. The report also looks extensively at the use of ICTs in many different aspects of work on the environment, including environmental observation, analysis, planning, management and protection, mitigation and capacity building.

The report demonstrates that ICTs are essential to our understanding of the environment and to our ability to deal with environmental change. Newly developed high speed processors using energy efficient CPU designs along with the rapid diffusion of advanced broadband networks and deployment of web-based services are transforming the way environmental research, learning and decision-making are taking place. Faster processors using ever larger, accurate and detailed data sets are increasingly linked together through GRID networks and this is permitting more accurate, predictive and complete modeling of environmental processes. This in turn is facilitating decision-making thanks to new technologies such as geographic information system (GIS) and a new generation of web-based services such as virtual globe browsers which may gradually replace stand-alone software platforms. Today, a broadband Internet connection is probably the most important tool to support environmental research, learning and decision-making.

But not all countries have the capacity to take advantage of these technologies in order to use the full potential of ICTs for environmental action. There is a need to strengthen the capacity of developing countries to benefit from the use of ICTs for managing the environment to help countries mitigate the impact of and adapt to environmental and climate change - all while helping them to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

There is a clear need for a more comprehensive and integrated approach to global environmental action through access to ICTs and the use of information technologies and management practices to eliminate duplication of efforts. This can be done by consolidating action at national levels on the many and varied environmental conventions and initiatives that developing countries have already agreed to in principle. ICTs provide a unique opportunity to do so while assisting in building local capacity to use these tools and practices. There is also a need to assign the environment a more important profile in ICT strategic planning initiatives at the national level and, in particular, in e-Government initiatives so that the use of ICTs for the environment is integrated into planning processes from the beginning, along with other national priorities and initiatives.

Finally, the ICTs for e-Environment report proposes a methodology to undertake rapid national e-Environment assessments as well as to develop and implement national e-Environment strategies. Among other proposals, the report recommends the preparation of an e-Environment toolkit comprised of best practices as one practical method to assist developing countries to take advantage of ICTs for environmental research, planning and action. Strengthening ongoing research activities is another proposal as well as placing more focus on the environment sector in e-Government initiatives.

Working on a regional basis may be the best approach for smaller, landlocked or island jurisdictions, such as small island developing states (SIDS).

Whatever approach is taken to support the use of ICTs for environmental action in sustainable development, it must be undertaken in close collaboration with key development partners at the national and international level and in consultation with actors in the public and private sectors as well as civil society.

This is a preliminary scoping study. The authors recognize the need for much more feedback from development practitioners and environmental actors - especially from collaborators and partners in the developing world. There is also a need for more input from stakeholders at local and community levels where there are undoubtedly many additional important examples that can be shared on how ICTs can be used for environmental action.

[EBOOK] ICTs for e-Environment Guidelines for Developing Countries with a Focus on Climate Change (ICT Applications and Cybersecurity Division - Policies and Strategies Department - ITU Telecommunication Development Sector), Published by ITU

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