Climate Change – Integra LLC

Asia, Blog, Climate Change, Climate Change, Environment, Environment, Irrigation and Water, Natural Resources Management, Water

Water at Wilson: An Event to Explore Solutions to Central and South Asia Water Challenges

In the intricate dance of geopolitics, water security stands out as a common concern and a potential catalyst for collaboration. Central and South Asia, regions endowed with abundant rivers and basins, face the dual challenges of water scarcity and the impacts of climate change. USAID is working with Central Asia Governments and research institutions—under the Asia Emerging Opportunities (AEO) mechanism—to evaluate the status and possible causes of lower-than-usual regional water supplies. Over the past year, Integra has delivered snowmelt and glacier melt training modules in Central Asia using data from eight primary river basins to continue this work.

The Wilson Center, a renowned institution for advancing policy dialogue, partnered with Integra to host an event titled “Water at Wilson: MODSNOW – A New Tool for Water Security in Central and South Asia.” The gathering convened experts and stakeholders to explore innovative solutions to the region’s pressing water challenges.

Kicking off with a warm welcome from Lauren Risi, Program Director of the Environmental Change and Security Program at the Wilson Center, the event proceeded with opening remarks from esteemed representatives, including Änjali Kaur, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Asia Bureau, USAID and Ambassador Sridhar Khatri of Nepal. Deputy Administrator Kaur stated, “We’re proud to have partnered with Integra to develop the simple yet remarkably effective MODSNOW, designed to empower governments and Asian communities to monitor water flows from high mountains. This is critical not only for the immediate needs of the present but also for the long-term sustainability and prosperity of future generations.” Echoing this sentiment, Ambassador Khatri shared that in coordination with Nepal’s ongoing efforts, “the MODSNOW tool developed by Dr. Abror Gafurov, will provide real-time information of water resources and help us to better prepare for disaster response.” Ambassador Baktybek Amanbaev of the Kyrgyz Republic and Ambassador Farrukh Hamralizoda of Tajikistan also spoke about how water security and tools such as MODSNOW are important to their respective countries. These introductory sessions underscored the significance of collaborative efforts in addressing water security issues, setting the stage for a deeper dive into research insights.

Dr. Abror Gafurov, the Innovative Water & Environmental Solutions (IWES) lead researcher, delivered an informative presentation on MODSNOW, a groundbreaking tool designed to revolutionize water resource management by predicting snowmelt patterns in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. The subsequent facilitated discussion, expertly moderated by Michael Kugelman, Director of South Asia at the Wilson Center, provided a platform for diverse perspectives and robust dialogue among panelists, including Dr. Eric Rudenshiold, Sherri Goodman, and Mary Melnyk. Audience engagement peaked during the dynamic question-and-answer session, where in-person and online attendees posed thought-provoking queries to the panelists. As the event drew to a close, it left a resonant message of hope and possibility, emphasizing the transformative potential of collaboration and innovation in safeguarding water resources for the future of Central and South Asia.

At its core, MODSNOW represents a fusion of innovation and necessity. The tool leverages advanced modeling techniques to predict snowmelt patterns in a region, often called the “Water Tower of Asia,” as it is the source of major river systems that sustain millions of people downstream. The significance of MODSNOW lies in its ability to provide timely and accurate information about snowmelt dynamics. By integrating satellite data, climate models, and ground observations, the tool offers policymakers and stakeholders crucial insights into water availability and potential risks. This information is invaluable for devising adaptive strategies to mitigate water-related challenges, such as floods, droughts, and the management of transboundary rivers.

During the event, experts highlighted MODSNOW’s multifaceted benefits. By enhancing the understanding of snowmelt processes, the tool empowers governments to make informed decisions regarding water allocation, infrastructure development, and climate adaptation measures. Furthermore, MODSNOW fosters regional cooperation by facilitating data sharing and collaborative research initiatives, transcending political boundaries to pursue shared water security goals.

August 6, 2024/by jschur

Agriculture, Climate Change, Environment, Environment, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Enduring Change: Entrusting Women as Planners

It’s stacked against them. Climate change is impacting developing countries in a real way, disrupting ancestral patterns used by the rural poor for farming, fishing, and daily life. On top of this, women and men experience climate change differently as gender inequalities worsen women’s coping. Women traditional are responsible for the tasks most likely to be affected by climate change: agriculture, food security, and water management.

How can women in these communities be empowered? For one, there needs to be a gender-responsive approach towards climate change policymaking and programming so that women can be important stakeholders when addressing climate change with their skills related to mitigation, adaption, and the reduction of risks.

A manual has been created for including women in the design process by the Global Gender and Climate Alliance (GGCA). CRiSTAL, which stands for Community-based Risk Screening Tool – Adaptation and Livelihoods, is designed to help project planners and managers integrate climate change adaption and risk reduction into community-level projects. It defines gender and includes warm-up activities and exercises that explain climate change that empower poor women to be powerful agents of change. The CRiSTAL approach also “provides a gender-specific vulnerability analysis for different parts of the population, highlighting the specific coping strategies of women, and resulting in clear pointers for how gender specific measures will need to be incorporated into projects.” From this manual, women gain access to knowledge about different hazards, risk reduction, resources and technology that reshape negotiations of comprehensive regimes on climate change. The manual includes examples of natural resource management projects focusing on drought coping strategies in Bangladesh, Mali, Nicaragua, Tanzania and Sri Lanka.

The manual concludes with a call for more government and NGO support, including providing skill transfer through ICT training for women that can change the perception of women in their communities.

March 8, 2012/by actualize

Agriculture, Climate Change, Energy, Environment, Environment, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

CARMA: the destiny of carbon

Power generation accounts for about one-quarter of global carbon emissions, a major cause of global warming. CARMA (Carbon Monitoring for Action) was created to inventory and monitor this massive output to “equip individuals with the information they need to forge a cleaner, low-carbon future.” There are over 50,000 power plants and 4,000 power companies worldwide available on CARMA’s database, which is produced and financed by the Confronting Climate Change Initiative at the Center for Global Development. CARMA can be used by consumers, investors, shareholders, and policymakers to name a few for influencing decisions on power generation.

For power plants within the U.S., CARMA uses E.P.A. data. For non-reporting plants, CARMA estimates emissions using a statistical model that utilizes detailed data on plant-level engineering and fuel specifications. The database is updated quarterly to reflect changes in ownership, construction, renovation, planned expansions, and plant retirements. The plants can generate power from any number of sources, including hydroelectric, fossil fuels, and nuclear. According to the site, “CARMA does not endorse or favor any particular technology. Our goal is to simply report the best available information on sources of power sector carbon emissions.” In many cases data can be downloaded from the site.

March 6, 2012/by actualize

Climate Change, Environment, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Mexico’s Climate Challenge: ICTs pave environmental policy

Mexico’s bouquet of distinct ecosystems features an assorted variety of species, making the country one of the most biologically diverse in the world. The gem of Mexico’s ecological abundance is in great danger due to the forces of climate change. The country’s coastal regions risk destruction from tropical storms. Other problems include heavy rains that increase flash flooding and pollution that dulls overall health. Environmental deterioration and degradation can be traced as a root cause of current social and economic problems in Mexico, especially as poverty is agitated by the effects of climate change.

In June 2011 the Association of Progressive Communications (APC) released “ICTs and environmental sustainability: Mapping national policy-making and climate change strategies“. In the report, the authors note the potential for ICTs in Mexico but warn of the overall disconnect between policy-making and climate change strategies. A critical piece missing is the general lack of communication infrastructure. The report cites a study that states that Mexico has the second lowest broadband density of all countries in the OECD and in comparison to other countries Internet is slow and expensive. In 2010, only 30 out of 110 million Mexicans had access to Internet.

There is great potential for ICTs to litigate climate change in Mexico. The report points towards solutions for integrating ICT into the sector, noting the limited budget and lack of private investment in technology. Despite this, in 2010 Ericsson declared that they supported launching a public-private partnership for low-carbon solutions at the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Cancun (COP16).

Some proposed areas where ICTs can be introduced include:

tracking carbon footprints and using sensors to improve energy use efficiency
surveying water use
using geographic data for flood prevention
creating information dissemination and consultation systems to prevent and issue early warning in vulnerable situations such as natural disasters that can coordinate members of the National Civil Protection System
updating the national volcanological monitoring system
forming a surveillance system for land conservation

January 31, 2012/by actualize

Agriculture, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environment, Environment, Environmental Compliance, Forestry, Land Management, Natural Resources Management, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Social Media, HIV/AIDS and Natural Resource Management

Photo Credit: RBCT

One of the leading programs with interest in the way HIV/AIDS is affecting the environment and natural resource management (NRM) activities is the USAID’s Africa Biodiversity Collaborative Group (ABCG).

ABCG, as a result, has initiated a number of communication strategies to combat the negative impact of HIV/AIDS on the environment. On this 2011 World’s AIDS Day, I find it appropriate to reflect on the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in increasing the effectiveness of communication strategies for combating negative impacts of HIV/AIDS on the environment.

Impacts of HIV/AIDS on the Environment and Natural Resource Management Activities

According to ABCG, HIV/AIDS has impacted the conservation workforce, conservation activities, and finances of conservation government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and communities. The pandemic has caused accelerated rates of illnesses and deaths among park wardens, rangers, community game guards, senior officials and other conservation personnel; accelerated rates of payment of terminal benefits by conservation government agencies; created competition for scarce financial resources between HIV/AIDS demands and conservation activities; led to accelerated and unsustainable rates of harvesting of medicinal plants and wildlife; is destroying communal social structures on which community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) is based; and has led to land use changes in some places.

The program has identified the following key impacts of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on natural resource management:

Changes in land use as agricultural practices change with falling capacity for heavy labor,
Changes in access to resources and land especially when widows and AIDS orphans cannot inherit land,
Loss of traditional knowledge of sustainable land and resource management practices,
Increased vulnerability of community-based natural resource management programs as communities lose leadership and capacity, and HIV/AIDS issues take priority, and
Diversion of conservation funds for HIV/AIDS related costs.

ABCG’s Communication Strategies and the Role of ICTs

With the above recognized negative impacts of HIV/AIDS on the environment and natural resource management, ABCG has agreed that ICTs are uniquely positioned to help increase the impacts of their communication strategies. Some of the current approaches being used include:

The use of its website with updated materials including PowerPoint presentations, papers, and web links on case studies conducted on HIV/AIDS and environmental conservation.
Networking among the regional partners to share useful information on the issue.
Workshops
International Conferences
AIDS and Conservation Posters by ABCG

So how can ICTs be integrated into these strategies for effective impact on HIV/AIDS?

Looking at the great potentials of ICTs for knowledge and information sharing, the current communication approaches by ABCG may have limited use of ICTs for sharing knowledge on best practices about HIV/AIDS and the environment. A host of the emerging social media tools and platforms are excellent avenues for partners to share information on HIV/AIDS and environmental conservation activities thereby facilitating the work of ABCG in its fight for environmental conservation.

a) Blogs taking the form of a diary, journal, and links to other websites could be great tools for sharing and creating awareness of HIV/AIDS on the environment.

b) Twitter accounts can be used to share instant updates from friends, industry experts, favorite celebrities, and others of the impact of HIV/AIDS on the environment, the prevention strategies, and what’s happening around the world with specific focus on natural resource management and HIV/AIDS.

c) Social networking applications like Facebook with pages specifically created on the issue could help bring like-minded individuals and organizations together to discuss the issue online.

d) Events such as Meetup.com and free Wibinar applications such as WebEx channels may be used to connect partners and advocates together to share information and knowledge on HIV/AIDS and the environment.

e) Wikis pages are great knowledge management and collaborative tools that could be used to capture, find, share, and use information on HIV/AIDS and environmental conservation. Wikis help keep knowledge current, dynamic, and safe for members.

f) Photo sharing applications like Flicker, Picasa, Fotki, Mobile Me, Windows Live SkyDrive could be used to share real-time updates on HIV/AIDS and environment through images.

g) Video sharing tools like YouTube could be used to create awareness of the danger of HIV/AIDS on the environment.

h) Professional networking tools like LinkedIn may bring together experts from the various fields – HIV/AIDS, NRM, Climate Change, among others to discuss the issue.

When the necessary ICT policies and infrastructure are put in place among the ABCG collaborating partners and the regional networks, the use of these applications should not be an obstacle to information sharing on HIV/AIDS and the environment.

December 1, 2011/by actualize

Climate Change, Environment, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

When Drumbeats Change, Dancing Steps Must Change!

Photo Credit: Drum Beat

An interesting principle being used by smallholder farmers in Nigeria (particularly female farmers) to fight the global climate change within their own means is a Hausa proverb, “In Kidi ya Chanza”, which means “when the drumbeats change, the dancers have to change their steps.”

“Change In Drum Beats” – Climate Change

While farming remains a predominant occupation for the rural people of Northern Nigeria, the increasing effects of climate change is being felt in almost all areas of their farming activities. The land is becoming drier due to shorter and unpredictable rainfalls; increasing flooding resulting in crop destruction when the rains finally come; the quality and quantity of forage of the livestock is being affected; and the changes in temperature is directly affecting both crops and livestock. At the same time, the strength of their local knowledge, innovations, skills, experiences, observations and insights that used to help them overcome these challenges in the absence of scientific resources is becoming archaic, due to the same effect of climate change.

“Change In Dancing” – Information Communication Technologies

Over time, the change in ‘drum beat’ has been noticed by the local people. With support from the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa Program; the African Radio Drama Association (ARDA) in partnership with Farm Radio International and the University of Guelph, initiated a project that uses “edutainment” approach of combining entertainment with educational messages for climate change. The project has developed this special “In Kidi ya Chanza” Radio Drama Program aimed at raising awareness and providing information to smallholder farmers in northern Nigeria about climate change adaptation. Currently, there are a number episodes of drama with specific focuses that are airing weekly on several radio stations and broadcast to an estimated 20 million listeners in four northern Nigerian states targeted by the project.

The drama involves music and storytelling, which can both entertain and educate. They imitate real life and can be a vehicle for demonstrating actions to highlight comparisons and consequences. Through multi-dimensional characters, drama can credibly portray models of responsibility, community leadership, and self-efficacy, and at the same time present new social norms to drive behavior change. Episodes also encourage household discussions of otherwise difficult topics, and encourage the audience to be part of the whole process of change without being bombarded with too many messages. The listener would usually empathize with the characters and would not feel talked down to, as useful information is given out by characters they grow to love in the course of the drama.

The impact of the program is huge with a recent study conducted by the University of Guelph showing that about 78% of respondents were familiar with the radio drama; 84% of female and 68% of male listeners stated the program increased their awareness of climate change adaptation; and the vast majority (92.8%) of respondents who gained awareness from the program reported that they took action.

Photo Credit: Radio for Development

In Nigeria and other parts of Africa, radio remains an important and trusted medium for the majorities of smallholder farmers who have easy access and regularly listen to programs. Apart from being affordable, radio is appropriate because it does not necessarily rely on electrical power to operate, making it highly accessible medium. Over 85% of Nigerians have access to a radio set, making radio an effective medium for the broadcast of this series of programs.

November 17, 2011/by actualize

Agriculture, Climate Change, Energy, Environment, Environment, Environmental Compliance, eWaste, Natural Resources Management, Originally posted on the GBI Portal, Pollution Prevention

Nigeria’s Mobile Phone Base Stations Go Green

Photo Credit: E-Site

Bharti Airtel, an international telecommunications company, has announced a deal with Ericsson, a leading provider of mobile telecommunications equipment, to use Flexenclosure’s green energy solution called E-site for upgrading an initial lot of 250 mobile phone base stations powered by diesel in Nigeria.

The contract enables Ericsson to be responsible for implementation and maintenance services for all the sites. “The new green and highly cost efficient base station solution makes not only environmental sense, but also financial sense for our customers, enabling the efficient deployment of services to previously unserved or under-served areas,” Ericsson Head of Sub-Saharan Africa Region Lars Linden said.

Airtel has successfully tested the solution in Kenya and has experienced significant reduction in diesel usage and CO2 emissions against a round-the-clock diesel powered site. The company also believes that the ‘green’ mobile initiative will improve operations and minimize base stations’ environmental impact.

Flexenclosure is a Swedish start-up that develops innovative solutions for energy-efficient mobile phone coverage in developing nations. The advanced control system of the E-site solution assures the storage of optimal power from the alternative energy sources (solar or wind) and the process is efficiently managed through the utilization of its battery bank.

The company estimates that there are 40,000 mobile phone base stations in Africa, and most of those rely on a diesel engine for power. Each base station takes anything up to 5200 gallons of the increasingly expensive hydrocarbon soup each year to ensure that people will be able to use their mobile phones. That’s around 210,000,000 gallons of diesel every single year, which isn’t good for the environment or the profit margins of the mobile providers. The technology has the potential to lower diesel usage by up to 80% – that’s a saving of 169,000,000 gallons of diesel each year for African telecommunication companies and that’s the byproducts of burning 169 million gallons of diesel that won’t be entering our atmosphere.

November 14, 2011/by actualize

Agriculture, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Energy, Environment, Environment, Environmental Compliance, Natural Resources Management, Originally posted on the GBI Portal, Pollution Prevention

Join the World’s First Social Energy Marketplace Today!

At a recently ended Web 2.0 Summit held in San Francisco California, a Berlin-based startup called Changers announced the release of a portable solar charging system that aims to reduce global warming by shifting society to the use of a currency backed by the sun. The Changers Solar System gives the user a way to harness the sun’s energy, liberates the user from the grid, recharges all kinds of devices, helps the user to socialize his/her energy production, and enables him/her to compete with others to earn Changers Credits that can be spent in the Changers Marketplace.

The Changers Starter Kit which is open for a pre-order beginning now as you read this piece, includes the revolutionary Changers Kalhuohfummi solar battery and the Changers Maroshi solar module and costs $149. The Changers Kalhuohfummi is a simple, one-button device that communicates with Changers.com. Inside is advanced intelligence that accurately measures how much energy it captures and stores in the built-in battery, ready to charge any smartphone or tablet. The Changers Kalhuohfummi solar battery is powered by the Changers Maroshi flexible solar module, which generates up to four Watts per hour — enough to charge the Kalhuohfummi battery in four hours. The Changers Maroshi solar panel, which is produced in Colorado, USA, can be attached to any window or sunny surface.

The Director of Communications, Hans Raffauf explains how the technology works:

http://youtu.be/Ee9WW2J8FdE

The system helps you to:

Capture the Sun: Produce your own energy. The Changers personal solar charging kit enables any of us to produce and consume renewable energy. Now, anyone can start producing energy and know exactly how much CO2 they’ve saved. Find a sunny spot, plug it in, and start harnessing the natural energy of the sun. Pretty soon, you’ll be much more aware of where you get the best sunlight and how to optimize your energy production and consumption.
Charge your Device: Change your thinking. Plug in your Apple iPhone/iPad/iPod, Android, Kindle (or any of 1,000 other devices) and charge it using the energy you captured. The Changers Kalhuohfummi will recharge your device as fast as a regular charger and radically change the way you think about energy. Now, you’re a Changer – an autonomous producer and consumer of your own renewable energy.
Become Part of a Movement: Tell the world. Upload your energy production statistics to the Changers community to visualize your actual CO2 savings. See how much energy you’ve produced and compare your score with others. Share your experience and contribution via Facebook and Twitter. Your pioneering actions will inspire others to follow.
Get Rewarded: Turn your green behavior into Changers Credits. The amount of energy you produce is automatically converted into Changers Credits, which can be spent at retail partners on the Changers Marketplace who share your commitment to a greener planet.

To know more and become social with green energy use go to Changers

November 8, 2011/by actualize

Agriculture, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Energy, Environment, Environment, Environmental Compliance, eWaste, Natural Resources Management, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

“All that Glitters is Not Always Gold”, Says Van Aartsen!

Photo Credit: IISD

“Using ICT for a greener economy is important, but also complex. It’s a solution, but also a challenge, says former Dutch Minister of Agriculture and current Mayor of The Hague Jozias van Aartsen. Mr Van Aartsen said this during his final keynote speech at the just ended ICT for Greener Economy Mini-Conference in Developing Countries organized by IICD as part of its 15^th Anniversary celebration.

Pointing out the ‘two-edged sword nature’ of ICTs in the Green Economy, the Mayor of The Hague mentioned some contributions that ICTs could make to the greener economy as well as the challenges of the new technologies. With the focus of the conference on the developing nations, Mr Van Aartsen was very passionate about the prospects of encouraging farmers in developing countries to participate in the green economy through organic farming, which could improve their livelihoods within the green economy. These farmers would have to be certified thereby enabling them to use their organic status to add value to their crops since the goods would have to be traced and tracked through the whole value chain system.

Mr Van Aartsen continued that besides tracking and tracing, ICTs also bring people together, helping them to educate themselves and improve their businesses. He cited a group of organic coffee farmers from Ecuador who are using their online network to receive essential support on inputs, crop management and marketing. He also mentioned the potential use of ICTs in water harvesting, drip irrigation, and intelligent planting schemes – all of which can help the farmer to get greater volumes and higher quality yields from the land in a sustainable way.

Touching on the other side of the coin, Mr Van Aartsen stated that “ICT use does not only result in greater demand for energy. Greater efficiency also leads to greater consumption”. He cautioned that when applying ICTs to solutions for greener economy, actors should make sure that they have made a proper cost-benefit analysis. When considering energy efficient solutions, actors should make use of clean energy sources such as solar energy. The overall goal should be “how sustainability of local economies can be strengthened, especially how income and food can be secured for the less privileged”.

Apps4Africa 2011: Climate Challenge

The US Department of State-funded Apps4Africa competition that began in 2009 has announced its theme for this year: Climate Challenge. Nine winners in sub-Saharan Africa will receive prize money for the applications with the most innovative solutions for solving climate problems.

Photo credit: Apps4Africa

The 2011 competition that brings NGOs, civil society, universities, and the private sector together with African technology gurus began on October 1st in West/Central Africa; it will later head to Eastern Africa and end in Southern Africa on March 30, 2012. It builds on the successes of last year’s Civic Challenge, which produced innovative apps such as the iCow that helps farmers manage livestock breeding. The Climate Challenge is meant to “center around several strategic themes that coincide with policy decisions that will be debated…by world leaders” during the COP17 conference in Durban, South Africa.

The COP17 conference, or the 17^th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), will take place from November 28- December 9. It is designed to assess progress in dealing with climate change and work toward the UNFCCC’s objective to “stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.”

The categories for the Climate Challenge applicants are as follows:

Entry Categories
Agriculture (Distribution)
Early Warning and/or Disaster Preparedness
Resource Management
Forestry/Deforestation
Transportation/Traffic/Emissions
Food Security
Livestock
Health and Sanitation