Motivation

ICTs can be effective in enabling countries to better adapt to climate change¹. Adaptation involves taking action to tolerate the effects of climate change on a local or country level. Examples include remote sensing for monitoring of natural disasters such as earthquakes and tidal waves, and improved communications to help deal with natural disasters more effectively.

ICTs in general, and satellite and surface-based remote sensors in particular, are already the main tools for environmental observation, climate monitoring and provide data for climate change prediction on a global basis. The modern disaster prediction, detection and early warning systems based on the use of ICTs are essential for saving lives and should be proliferated in developing countries. ICTs are making available vital information on the changing environment to the mass population who need capacity building i.e. information and education and help to sustain basic needs such as food and water. Ideally this would be achieved through green technologies such as mobile devices and base stations powered by solar energy.

ICTs can be part of the solution to climate change, in particular by helping both developed and developing countries adapt to the negative effects of climate change using ICT based systems monitoring weather and the environment worldwide.

Requirements for appropriate ICT technologies to contribute to climate change mitigation are the subject of new Recommendations and Handbooks.

These publications can be used by manufacturers and operators to produce and implement ICTs which are effective in supporting adaptation to climate change.

ITU-T now needs to consider similar publications in the area of adaptation.

Question

Study items to be considered include, but are not limited to:

• What are the standardisation requirements for ICTs to enable adaptation to climate change?
• How can ICTs, in particular fibre submarine cable networks, be used more effectively to monitor the global environment/ecosystem and what new standards are required?
• How can ICT standards be used and adapted to more effectively disseminate information on both natural and man-made disasters (early warning) to communities (e.g. supporting GDACS under the UN framework?
• Identification if new ICT standards are needed to address food security, water transportation and supply in close collaboration with D sector.
• How can ICT standards better enable water management under accelerating climate change conditions to improve the overall efficiency of water use, leading to a more sustainable use of water resources?
• What ICT standards need to be used or developed to disseminate information to enable farmers to better forecast crop yields and production?
• How can ICTs be used to monitor deforestation and forest degradation and what standards are available or need development?
• How can ICTs be used to reduce CO2e emissions by better waste management through a ‘cradle to cradle’, i.e. ‘closed loop’ approach whereby more efficient recycling means fewer raw materials need to be mined?
• What standards are needed for ICTs to be used to increase energy supply efficiency and maximize the use of renewable sources?
• How can ICTs be used in education and to raise awareness on climate change and what standards development is required?
• What e-health standards are needed for more effective healthcare, as diseases spread due to changing climatic conditions, and to ensure interoperability?
• Do NGN standards accommodate the requirements of these technologies? Is additional NGN infrastructure or standardisation needed?

Tasks

Tasks include, but are not limited to:

• Establish handbooks on practical examples and best practices of ICT standards, and if necessary recommendations, to support adaptation to climate change.
• Produce a ‘roadmap’ to identify the types of ICT technologies and standards available, propose improvements and facilitate more effective use of these
• Coordinate with other SGs, ITU-R, ITU-D and other bodies on a regular basis to collaborate effectively

Relationships

Study Groups:

• ITU-T SGs 9, 13, 15 and 16
• ITU-D SGs
• ITU-R SGs

Standardization bodies, forums and consortia:

ISO, ETSI ,UNFCCC, UNEP, FAO, UN-REDD Programme (avoiding forest degradation), UN-Water and UN-Habitat on sustainable water supplies,

Cooperation with UNFCCC is particularly important for the assessment of the environmental impacts including ICT projects and the assessment of the environmental impacts of ICT in countries or groups of countries.