Challenges in implementing ICT to address Climate Change in developing economies with an experience of implementing sensors and wireless technologies in monitoring Glacier Lakes in Himalaya

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Challenges in implementing ICT to address Climate
Change in developing economies with an experience
of implementing sensors and wireless technologies
in monitoring Glacier Lakes in Himalaya
ITU Telecom World 2009, Geneva, 5-9 October, 2009
Bhushan Raj Shrestha, PhD, Nepal Research and
Education Network
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• Experience of implementing sensors and wireless
  technologies in monitoring Glacier Lakes in
  Himalaya is the experience gained through the
  project developed for monitoring Imja Glacier
  Lake in high Himalayas of Nepal.
• This a collaborative project of NARC/NARO Japan,
  Keio University Japan, Nepal Research and
  Education Network (NREN) Nepal, ICIMOD, DNPW
  Nepal and APAN-Japan.
• This system is still in operation and can be
  accessed through http//fsds.dc.affrc.go.jp/data4/
  Himalayan/.

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• The effect of climate change in the form of
  increase in temperature, change in monsoon cycle,
  heavy rainfall, floods and droughts have adverse
  effect in the limited livelihood options of the
  majority of people in developing nations.

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• Vulnerable communities need strategies to cope
  and adapt with the changing environment.
• ICT enables top-level decision makers to identify
  the vulnerable communities and develop national
  strategies for adaptation.
• ICT enables community to develop strategies to
  cope and adapt the changing environment.

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• Glaciers are most sensitive to global
  temperature condition.
• Most glaciers in Nepal are undergoing rapid
  deglaciation rate of glacial retreat ranges from
  several meters to 20m/year.

Source Melting Himalayas
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• Regular monitoring of glaciers and their
  associates not only help in preventing potential
  disaster from GLOF, it also helps in monitoring
  the trend of global warming.

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• Objective
• Real time monitoring of Imja glacial lake as a
  pilot project http//fsds.dc.affrc.go.jp/data4/Him
  alayan/.
• Establish early warning system to save villages
  from GLOF in down stream.
• Establishing network infrastructure for
  researchers working in climate change worldwide.

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Imja Glacial lake is a large lake on moraine with
narrow outlet located at 5100 m altitude. It is
formed by melted glaciers. Water level is rising,
high risk of Glacial Lake Out-Burst and several
villages downstream are on risk.
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Imja Now and Then
May, 2008
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• Technology Deployed
• Field Server A sensor developed by National
  Agriculture Research Center (NARC), Japan
• Wi-Fi
• Internet through VSAT
• Web Server (Measurement Device Control)
• Sensors (up to 24 channel)
• (Air temp., humidity, Solar radiation, CO2,
  Water level in Imja)
• IP Camera for picture and video
• Solar Cell

FIELD SERVER
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Wireless Network from Imja Lake to Namche Bazar
4 days walk

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Lesson Learnt

• Countries situated in Himalayan region are highly
  vulnerable to climate change
• ICT is an appropriate technology to address
  Climate Change
• The skill of available human resources within the
  developing nation are sufficient for establishing
  such system

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Lesson Learnt, Contd..

• New development in wireless and sensor
  technologies, availability of broadband Internet
  connectivity are great opportunities for
• developing efficient monitoring and early warning
  systems
• creating knowledgebase for coping and adapting
  the changes due to climate change
• national and international researchers outside
  the region to study on glaciers and its
  associates due to climate change in real time
• local people or decision makers in developing
  nations to get real time advisory from experts
  and others for immediate action to be taken on
  disaster or any other natural events

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Challenges in implementing ICT for climate change
in developing nations
Network Infrastructure large pats of rural
areas are not covered by existing infrastructure,
private service providers have less priority to
serve these areas. Creating own private network
is still very expensive. Limited and expensive
bandwidth cost for internet connectivity.
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Challenges in implementing ICT, Contd..
Power supply need to depend on solar energy,
high initial cost. Awareness - top level
decision makers and ICT professionals are not
aware of potentiality of ICT in Climate
Change. Lack of activities to build the
confidence of stakeholders about ICT in climate
change. Affordability devices and sensors to
be used for ICT enable system for climate change
is still very expensive and not affordable.