The Soul Beat 207 - Climate Change and Communication in Africa
In this issue of The Soul Beat:
- ICTS for climate change mitigation and adaptation...
- RADIO AND MEDIA for climate change awareness and disaster risk reduction...
- STAY CONNECTED to Soul Beat Africa…
- COMMUNITY ADAPTATION to climate change - photostories and tools...
This issue of The Soul Beat includes programme experiences, research reports, and resource materials that highlight how information and communication technologies (ICTS); media; and community based, participatory approaches are being used to deal with the effects of climate change in Africa.
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1. Social Media Guide for Climate Change Practitioners in Africa
This social media guide was produced by AfricaAdapt and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in August 2012. Designed to increase understanding of different types of social media, and their potential role in accessing and sharing knowledge on climate change adaptation in Africa, it offers practical advice on sharing, accessing, and exchanging climate change knowledge from and about Africa using social media. According to the publishers, this guide is suitable for researchers, civil society practitioners, or information intermediaries working on climate change in Africa, as well as anyone with a particular interest in social media.
2. ICTs and Climate Change Mitigation in Developing Countries
By Helen Roeth, Leena Wokeck, Richard Heeks and Richard Labelle
Published in February 2012, this briefing from the University of Manchester's "Climate Change, Innovation and ICTs" research project addresses ICT use in addressing challenges to urgent climate action in developing countries. These challenges include: "lack of awareness, capital, skills, appropriate technology, and appropriate market/policy regimes."
3. ICTEnabled Knowledge Sharing in NorthSouth Partnerships: Lessons from the AfricaAdapt Network
This case study from 2010 shares the experience of the AfricaAdapt network to use ICTs to facilitate and mediate relationships among four host partners and network members. Key technologies used among hosts partners include Web 2.0 tools such as Skype, wikis, and Delicious, as well as more conventional tools such as email. In communicating with, and facilitating knowledge sharing between AfricaAdapt's members, a different range of networking and knowledgesharing tools are employed, including Twitter, YouTube, and a bespoke online platform that allows for the creation of user and project profiles in a style similar to that of Facebook and other social networking sites.
4. Learning from Egypt's Environmental Monitoring and Reporting Systems
By Leila Hassanin
Published in February 2012, this case study from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom (UK)'s "Climate Change, Innovation and ICTs" research project describes a developing country trying to set up its monitoring and reporting (M&R) system, particularly with a view to meeting its United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) obligations. The difficulties faced by Egypt in setting up its general climate change M&R system are contrasted with of two much more specific environmental information systems which have some climate change relevance: one monitoring water quality, one monitoring air quality.
5. New and Emergent ICTs and Climate Change in Developing Countries
By Stan Karanasios
This paper, published in January 2011 and based on a review of literature, outlines the range of new and emergent ICTs (i.e. wireless broadband and wireless sensor networks, geographic information systems, and web-based tools) being applied to climate change issues and investigates their use in developing countries. It also discusses innovative uses of established technologies such as mobile phones and aims to give those working on climate change an understanding of the technologies that will increasingly be used in their field: not just the identity of the technologies but their potential benefits and application areas. This study is a product of the University of Manchester's "Climate Change, Innovation and ICTs" research project.
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6. Climate Airwaves: Community Radio, Action Research and Advocacy for Climate Justice in Ghana
By Blane Harvey
This journal article, published in 2011, discusses lessons learned from Climate Airwaves, an initiative working to develop new approaches for supporting community radio broadcasters to investigate, communicate, and engage in broader debates on the impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities in Ghana. According to the article, lessons learned have highlighted the challenges of addressing complexity and uncertainty appropriately, the importance of framing climate change in the context of rights and responsibilities, the role of sustainable partnership models, and how this work can contribute to broadcasters' and communities' longer-term visions of change.
7. Combining Local Radio and Mobile Phones to Promote Climate Stewardship
By Ryan Jones and Bill Siemering
Published in January 2012 by the Centre for Development Informatics (CDI), University of Manchester, United Kingdom (UK), this case study focuses on a pilot project in rural communities on the Eastern edge of Zambia that aimed to bring effective radio programming and mobile phone-based interaction to these communities, in an effort to increase their knowledge of the local deforestation issue and deepen their stake in reversing the trend. According to the case study, the project resulted in better levels of citizen information and involvement, as well as improved journalist capacity.
8. Media and Telecoms Landscape Guides
Infoasaid is producing a series of media and telecoms landscape guides for developing countries that are vulnerable to humanitarian crises. They are designed as a tool to help humanitarian agencies communicate effectively with crisis-affected communities. Each guide profiles an individual country that is at risk of natural disaster caused by climate change, extreme weather, and seismic activity and/or is exposed to the consequences of human conflict.
9. Disaster through a Different Lens: Behind Every Effect, There Is a Cause - A Guide for Journalists Covering Disaster Risk Reduction
By Brigitte Leoni and Tim Radford
This guidebook for journalists, produced by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) with funding from the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Directorate General (ECHO) in May 2011, is written for journalists and the media who are interested in learning more about Disaster Risk Reduction (DDR) issues. It describes how climate change, environmental degradation, evolution of extreme events such as droughts and floods, poverty, and rapid urbanisation contribute to exposing more people to disasters, and discusses what the media can contribute to convince more national and local governments to invest more in DRR policies.
10. Radio and SMS To Increase Awareness on Deforestation - Uganda
In February 2012, Text to Change, World Wide Fund for Nature’s Earth Hour, and Trac FM collaborated to use mobile technology and radio to address the impact of the charcoal trade on deforestation in Uganda. Two radio stations in Uganda asked their listeners to participate in polls which focused on the country's charcoal trade in order to find out their opinion. Participants were able to respond on a toll free short code. The results were instantly available to in-studio guests, and were subsequently published in other media.Trac FM is a programme specialising in strategies to involve people in monitoring service delivery in their community through radio polls.
11. Environment Toolkit for the Media
By Hailemariam Mesfin
This toolkit, published by Panos Ethiopia in 2010, is designed to support media coverage on environmental issues in Ethiopia by providing a quick reference on contemporary environmental issues. It starts with a brief description of what climate change is and explains its cause and the consequences. The toolkit touches on some of the steps that have been taken by the international community to combat climate change and minimise its effects, including a number of protocols and accords. It also includes information about managing natural resources, such as forests, water, land, minerals, and energy resources, as well as information on biodiversity in Ethiopia and its challenges.
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PARTICIPATORY AND COMMUNITY APPROACHES
12. Visions of Life with Climate Change: Community Photostories from Namibia, Tanzania and Kenya
Edited by Max T. Edkins and Astrid Westerlind Wigström
This report, published by ResourceAfrica UK (RAUK) in August 2011, is a compilation of photostories developed as part of community-based climate change awareness activities. The booklet outlines ResourceAfrica UK's work bridging the knowledge and information gap regarding climate change and vulnerable communities, and highlights how photostories can be used as a climate change vulnerability assessment tool. According to the publication, photstories are an innovative, inclusive, and fun way of detecting community vulnerabilities.
13. Participatory Video for Monitoring and Evaluation of Community Based Adaptation to Climate Change
By Isabelle Lemaire and Soledad Muñiz
This case study, published in 2010, shares the experience of Community Based Adaptation in Africa (CBAA) of using participatory video for monitoring and evaluation of initiatives to help communities adapt to climate change and share lessons learned. Between 2008 and 2011, CBAA, an action research project, tested tools for community adaptation and knowledge generation in eight African countries while building the capacity of its partners and local communities. Between 2009 and 2010, partner InsightShare held workshops in four of the eight participating countries: Malawi, South Africa, Kenya and Zimbabwe, to pass on skills in participatory video (PV) and monitoring and evaluation. According to the case study, the PV methodology both helped to identify additional insights into climate change impact and adaption in communities, and was a valuable monitoring and evaluation tool.
14. Climate Change Adaptation Stories
By Fatima Denton, Alioune Badara Kaere, Henri Matthieu Lo, and Ibrahima Paul Thiao
This booklet, published by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in 2010, is a collection of real-life testimonies of communities in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Senegal who are adapting to climate change and formulating strategies to reduce their social, economic, and cultural vulnerability. The case studies explore organisational dynamics in local communities, access to and management of water resources, changes in the method of livestock management, diversification of agricultural production, and water and soil conservation measures. According to the author, through the first-hand personal accounts, the stories are designed to share and capitalise on the knowledge and experience communities have accumulated during prolonged periods of drought and desertification.
15. Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis Handbook
By Angie Dazé, Kaia Ambrose and Charles Ehrhart
The Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis (CVCA) methodology from CARE is intended to help local people carry out an analysis that will increase their understanding of the implications of climate change on their lives and livelihoods. By combining local knowledge with scientific data, the process is designed to build people’s understanding about climate risks and adaptation strategies. It provides a framework for dialogue within communities, as well as between communities and other stakeholders. The results of the analysis aim to provide a foundation for the identification of practical strategies to facilitate community-based adaptation to climate change.
16. Adaptation, Gender and Women's Empowerment: CARE International Climate Change Brief
This brief on gender and climate change was published by CARE International's Poverty, Environment and Climate Change Network (PECCN) in October 2010. It explains questions relating to CARE’s approach to adaptation, which begins with a comprehensive analysis that includes an examination of differential vulnerability due to social, political, and economic inequalities. This assessment helps tailor adaptation strategies to specific needs, capacities and priorities of impact groups, such as economically poor women.
17. CARE Toolkit for Integrating Climate Change into Development Projects
By Angie Dazé
This toolkit, published by CARE International in June 2010, provides assistance for adapting design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation to the challenges posed by climate change. Its step-by-step structure supports the design of climate interventions with sustainable impacts to foster community resilience. The toolkit also includes simple checklists to ensure that activities don't inadvertently increase people's vulnerability to climate change. It provides guidelines and recommended tools for all stages of the development project cycle, as well as examples.
SOUL BEAT E-NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES
See these previous e-newsletters related to climate change.
The Soul Beat 183 - Communicating Climate Change and Disaster Risk
The Soul Beat 162 - Climate Change Communication
To view ALL past editions of The Soul Beat e-newsletter, click here.
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