Innovative application of ICTs in addressing water-related impacts of climate change

The Climate Change and Water (CCW) is a new programme by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) from 2010 – 2015. The focus of CCW programme is to support applied, policy-relevant research to help people adapt to the water-related impacts of climate change. Recognising the rapidly crowding field of climate change, the programme seeks to carve a niche in the area of building research capacity to estimate and respond to risks associated with climatic water stress in developing communities.

The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) has been brought in to help develop the next steps in the programme in order to help refine its focus in the area. This entailed several project activities, including coordinating regional research, conducting a call for project write-ups, an online practitioner survey, hosting a workshop in Johannesburg, and the publication of the project outputs.

A workshop on Innovative application of ICTs in addressing water-related impacts of climate change was also held in Johannesburg from 07 – 10 July 2011. It involved three days of presentations and intensive discussions with expert participants from around the world, as well as a half-day site visit to a water project in the Johannesburg area.

Three regional reports on ICTs, climate change and water were produced, and published in a new book, Application of ICTs for climate change adaptation in the water sector: Developing country experiences and emerging research priorities.

The project comes to an end in June 2012, but will lay the groundwork for future research and work in the ICT, climate change and water sector.