USING MOBILE PHONES TO IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECTS IN THE PACIFIC Dr. Adam Bumpus Assistant Professor, University of Melbourne Co-Founder, Apidae

The story Cases Key issues Explanations Conclusions Funded by: Early Career Researcher Grant at the University of Melbourne In collaboration with Government of Fiji, UNDP, UNESCO, Apidae

What are the barriers and opportunities for using ICTs, such as mobile phones, to source data from communities to improve the effectiveness and accountability of climate change projects? Conclusions: 1.Technology must be social 2.Perceptions matter 3.Coordination is key

ISSUES Preferential spending on ICTs Money going back to developed countries Inequities in location, age, gender, education and income Need to consider all aspects on the trend line (i.e. digital divide still present) OPPORTUNITIES Estimated by 2013, 90% of Africa to be covered by mobile Women report more empowerment after ICT training Sen’s capabilities and choice approach: to what extent are ICTs opening this up? ICT4D ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES

ICT4D exists, but limited on climate change and development

Core message centre e.g. Met Office Users Centre to periphery (e.g. cyclone alerts) exists the most

Core message centre e.g. Met Office Users Less of this at the moment: crowdsourcing data back in (although peer to peer is happening)

User 1User 2 Finance for transactions Gain data / outreach / development UN Infrastructure for transactions Secure existing markets, explore new Local Telcos $ Core message centre e.g. Met Office User s Peer-to-peer exists: Public-Private Partnerships

MOBILE PHONE USE HIGH, INTERNET CATCHING Potential: Information communication technologies (ICTs) have the potential to be a useful tool assisting the monitoring and evaluation of low-emission climate resilient development, scaling up awareness and participation of communities, assisting in the implementation of national priorities within emerging international climate finance architectures.

CASES: ACTION RESEARCH UNDP: Pacific Solutions Exchange Pacific wide virtual conversation with practitioners Lots happening in the space, but most is core to periphery (e.g. disaster warning) and less on crowdsourcing data for effectiveness UNESCO: Mobile survey with communities, media and teachers in Samoa, Fiji and Vanuatu People like the mobiles, “its like a game”, but awareness raising is key to improving adoption

Key Issues

Some infrastructure barriers exist, but mostly technically feasible KEY ISSUES: SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ISSUES ARE CRUCIAL

KEY ISSUES 1. ITS STILL SOCIAL AND CULTURAL Some infrastructure barriers exist, but mostly technically feasible The need for good social and cultural interaction Understanding of the goals and benefits of the project, incentives are needed but can skew results

Community preferences for information transfer: 1.Face-to-face discussion with project implementers 2.Mobile text messages 3.Internet KEY ISSUES 1. ITS STILL SOCIAL AND CULTURAL

Some infrastructure barriers exist, but mostly technically feasible The need for good social and cultural interaction Understanding of the goals and benefits of the project, incentives are needed but can skew results Need to understand The demand side for the project How it can fit within local governance structures (i.e. local hierarchy and traditional power)

Potential lack of interest in subject matter of climate change, or need different business model But there is interest in using mobiles for the game BUT: Democratisation and local governance structures Access differentiated by vulnerability, gender, age? Needs more work

2. Perceptions Matter

KEY ISSUES 2. INSTITUTIONAL PERCEPTIONS: ICT IS A DESKTOP PC “But most people are not connected to mobile phone networks” - Regional donor representative “But most people are not connected to mobile phone networks” - Regional donor representative “ICT is not about a computer; it’s about a tool to assist your work. Its not a threat, but an opportunity.” - Regional IGO Official “ICT is not about a computer; it’s about a tool to assist your work. Its not a threat, but an opportunity.” - Regional IGO Official

3: Coordination is Key

KEY ISSUES 3. POLICY AND DATA COORDINATION Need coordination vertically (informational governance up and down between communities, projects, donors, markets) Need coordination and sharing horizontally (between communities, projects) Data management and sharing is key barrier at the moment Capacity for data collection hindered by cash allocation, capabilities and continuity But: Data ≠ knowledge there needs to be structure, shaping, sharing and ongoing resourcing to harness use of mobiles for climate change

How can we explain some of this?

Opportunities for spaces and scales of innovation ICTs as a tool to integrate useful data ICTs and climate change as mutually supportive cross-cutting policy issues Climate finance Data for accountability Effective interaction with communities MNRE Min Comms and ITMin Health Telco 1Telco 2 Gaps and disjunct in vertical finance and data flows Competition and piggybacking business models Local participation and innovation on communication Horizontal coordination in policy and practice Scales of innovation National Govm’t SPC UNDP AusAID PIFS SPREP Donors / IGOs Policy innovation Public-private innovation Policy innovation Global Local Local interests

OPPORTUNITY FOR ICTS IN IMPROVING CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECTS ENABLERS Economics: growth in mobile market Governance: climate change increasingly multi-actor, scalar Technology: Cheap SMS and growing mobile internet Culture: enthusiasm of youth and growth in peer-to-peer ICT INHIBITORS Economics: Infrastructure and cost of internet Policy and scale dimensions: Lack of policy and data coordination Experience: small (but growing) baseline of knowledge on what ICT solutions work Vulnerably groups may have difficulty in participation

CONCLUSIONS Pacific is a small place, specific but opportunities exist ICT is seen as a possible and popular tool for impact Local dynamics of access Normative ideals vs. local need (supply vs. demand) ICT as progressive, transformative or regressive? Possibilities to link to other areas of focus e.g. World Bank work in Africa on this

NEXT STEPS New research on human-computer interfaces for reporting on climate change project effectiveness using mobile devices: mobile, smart, tablet Funding proposals in for collaboration with UNDP MCO, Fiji Ministry of Local Government, Urban Development, housing and Environment, Vodafone Fiji, Apidae Development Innovations Scalable innovation using mobile tech for climate development

Thank you!