By: Samantha Remeika, TechChange Vice President for Customer Success and Delivery

Right now, the 24th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference is taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan. This global multilateral decision-making forum on climate change brings together nearly every country in the world. One of the key priorities of this year’s COP is securing a new goal on climate finance, to ensure that every country has the resources to take strong climate action for a more sustainable future.

TechChange recently had the pleasure of supporting another event where climate finance had top billing: the Europe and Central Asia Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, the main intergovernmental platform for addressing regional disaster risk challenges for the 55 countries of Europe and Central Asia.

The Regional Platform was hosted by the Government of Montenegro on 6-8 November, 2024, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, and with the support of UNDP, the European Commission, and the Council of Europe. This dynamic event presented a unique opportunity to address regional challenges such as critical infrastructure issues, early warning systems, and multiple crises compounded by conflict. Stakeholders from local mayors, NGO leaders, and industry experts were brought together in Montenegro and online via this hybrid event to share learnings and build solutions. 331 people registered, benefiting from nearly 20 hours of content in English, Russian and Montenegrin languages.

Climate Emergency and Resilience Finance

On the first day of the convening, one innovative session examined the importance of resilience finance in building climate-resilient infrastructure, enhancing disaster preparedness and response capabilities, and supporting vulnerable communities to adapt to climate change impacts. In “Climate Emergency and Resilience Finance,” a panel of experts and local governmental leaders from six different countries shared their perspectives and experiences in harnessing climate finance tactics to supercharge local and regional initiatives.

One of the speakers, Natalia Alieksieieva, Representative of the Executive Committee of Lviv, Ukraine, talked about how the ongoing war in her country made disaster much closer to everyday people’s lives, and how city to city initiatives and finance initiatives helped to build resilience even in the most difficult circumstances. Another speaker, Susana Sousa Gonçalves, the Director of the Civil Protection Department, in the Municipality of Matosinhos of Portugal, shared about how their group of cities strategized how to share funding and resources such as green bonds and insurance policies to reduce disaster risk. She continued: “We develop solutions locally, and then share them nationally, and regionally.

Work like this is essential in tandem with the top-down measures that will originate at COP, in pursuit of the objectives from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

This session provided a primer on Disaster Risk Financing and how governments and municipalities can be fiscally ready for the disaster up front, using various financial instruments and mechanisms. From sharing tools to outlining the various uses of multi-faceted capital campaigns, attendees of the Regional Platform were given the opportunity to learn about approaches that might work in their local areas, and network with other do-ers who could share their experiences making things happen. As Senior Disaster Resilience consultant Sandra Nedeljkovic said, “since we are connected as a region, a lot of us share the same risks, so it would be good to partner on instruments to face problems together.”

In 2025, TechChange plans to support a variety of hybrid events through the United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction Office, and contribute to this vital issue by convening and connecting committed professionals in forums such as these. We look forward to enabling a wide swath of implementers, governmental leaders, and NGO stakeholders to contribute to the global goals that will come out of COP 2024.

By Lara Henneman, TechChange Special Projects and Storytelling

Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and changes in disease patterns are all consequences of global warming with grave impacts on human health. To meet these rapidly worsening challenges, health professionals urgently need data-driven insights and modern digital tools. This year’s Global Digital Health Forum (GDHF), December 4-6 in Nairobi, Kenya and worldwide online, will feature a specialized track sponsored by Digital Square at PATH, Wellcome, and The Rockefeller Foundation on this vital and timely intersectional topic, focusing on immediate action and pathways for countries and organizations to strengthen resilience and sustainability through integrated climate and health data.

The Climate-Informed Data Services for Health Track

PATH is a global NGO that works to advance health equity through innovation and partnerships, including their support of the TechChange-led Digital Health: Planning National Systems course. With extensive experience working alongside communities and health systems worldwide, PATH understands the unique challenges faced by those most vulnerable to health and economic inequities–especially as climate threats intensify. By sponsoring the Climate-Informed Data Services for Health track at the world’s largest conference for digital health implementers, PATH aims to spotlight how digital tools such as artificial intelligence (AI) and localized climate indicators can be used to address health concerns exacerbated by climate and extreme weather events, from rising malaria mortality rates to mental health challenges.

Bringing together digital health, climate science, and public health experts, the GDHF Climate-Informed Data Services for Health track will feature presentations, workshops and discussions that explore the role of digital public goods (DPGs) and infrastructure in addressing climate-related health risks.

From the Plenary Stage to Action-Oriented Workshops

The plenary session featured in this track, “Building Climate Health Resilience through Coordinated Investment in Digital Public Goods,” will welcome experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), the WHO and World Meteorological Organization Joint Office for Climate and Health, Kenya’s Ministry of Health, Wellcome, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Digital Square at PATH. The plenary will be a crucial moment to discuss advancements in climate-informed data systems, including how digital public infrastructure (DPI) is a foundational element from which climate can be addressed. The session will also highlight ongoing efforts by the host country of Kenya to improve climate resilience.

Complementing the plenary discussion are interactive workshops such as “The DHIS2 Climate Data App: Leveraging the DHIS2 Platform for Climate-Informed Health Programming.” The DHIS2 Climate Data App enables users to integrate, track and analyze the relationships between climate data and health outcomes, supporting more climate-resilient health systems and more effective responses and interventions. Sound complicated? This workshop, led by Omiel Patrick Okecho, Regional DHIS2 Implementer, will make it anything but. This session will enable participants to download, configure, install, and use the DHIS2 Climate Data App in their DHIS2 systems, kick-starting their journey toward climate-informed health systems and more effective intervention and response.

For an even deeper exploration, the Climate & Health subgroup of the Digital Health & Interoperability Working Group will host a workshop that enables digital health providers to better understand and respond to climate-related health needs. The workshop will guide climate experts, health technologists, and implementers in accessing and integrating climate data to identify and measure its impact on health outcomes and to apply these insights in digital health solutions.

Conference Agenda Includes Emphasis on the Most Vulnerable

Climate change has serious impacts on the sexual and reproductive health, rights, and autonomy of women and girls, often disrupting healthcare services, limiting access to contraception, and increasing gender-based violence during climate disasters and migration. As a part of this PATH-sponsored track, Theodora Gibbs, the Climate Director at YLabs will lead a workshop showcasing how digital tools are addressing challenges at the nexus of climate, gender, and health.

In “Digital Breakthroughs for Ensuring Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in the Face of a Changing Climate,” participants will hear about how new machine learning technologies can unpack the impacts of climate change on SRHR, while advanced tools such as sensors, GPS and forecasting can illustrate and quantify the future risks of climate change to women’s health. The session will also demonstrate how disasters need not stop sexual and reproductive health services, showcasing the innovative use of drones, unmanned systems, and telemedicine platforms that enable remote consultations and medical support when physical access to healthcare facilities is compromised.

Register today to participate in GDHF in-person or virtually

In addition to this amazing climate-focused track, the GDHF agenda features a wealth of knowledge-building and networking opportunities for technology vendors, donors, researchers, government representatives, and implementing organizations working in low- and middle-income countries. This year we are proud to offer a three-day hybrid experience, including virtual and in-person programming that will make the conference an inclusive, accessible, and vital opportunity for growth and connection in a changing world.

By Alexander Paone, TechChange Account Manager, Public Health

There is a growing understanding that the health of humanity and our changing planet are deeply intertwined. Right now, the intersection of digital, climate and global health is an emerging area of focus for funders, NGOs, and local actors alike. Critical research is underway linking rising temperatures, coastal flooding and dangers to human health, along with the role technology can play in mitigating those risks. In this rapidly changing landscape, the complex challenges we face as a species will require expertise and action from across sectors.

Enter TechChange’s newest course: Climate Change, Global Health, and Technology: An Intersectional Approach.

This innovative blended learning experience took participants on a four-week journey through the nexus of these fields, exploring cutting-edge solutions for sustainable development. More than 1232 people from 110 countries enrolled in the course, which was sourced from a wait list developed on LinkedIn. Thanks to generous sponsorship by Abt Global, whose mission is to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of people worldwide, participation was offered 100% free of charge.

What does global health and technology have to do with climate change anyway?

From increases in pest-related diseases such as West Nile Virus and Lyme disease, to respiratory and heart diseases linked to increased temperatures and atmospheric pollution, climate change is already worsening health challenges all over the world. Technology can play a transformative role in our approach, particularly in the data that is used to inform decision making and prioritize investment. The four units of Climate Change, Global Technology, and Health are intentionally scaffolded to build upon a foundational understanding of the intersection of these three fields, enabling participants to identify and discuss relevant data and data sources, then to explore adaptation and mitigation strategies that can be leveraged to build climate resilience.

For example, Kenneth Davis from Fraym presented to course participants about hyperlocal risk maps, where scientists can predict disease outbreaks using satellite data on changes in animal habitats. And while these models often miss the impact of human behaviors due to less granular data, Fraym shared how he addresses this gap by combining the satellite data with surveys to provide hyperlocal population insights and predict the combined impact of climate change and human behaviors on disease outbreak risks.

Since none of this happens in a vacuum, Climate Change, Global Technology, and Health: An Intersectional Approach concludes with advocacy training for participants to be able to align climate and health priorities and work towards a better future.

What’s the response been like to the course?

Designed for individuals with a background in public health, environmental studies, climate science, technology, or related fields, participants are professionals with an interest in understanding the intersection of climate change, health, and technology. An incredibly diverse group participated in this first cohort, from a Ministry of Health official in the East African country of Cosmoros to a university student in Papua New Guinea. Their feedback after completing the course reinforced the importance of the subject matter and its direct applicability. 100% of participants indicated the course material was relevant and practical to their work.

One participant called the mix of self-paced modules, live webinars, group discussions, and interactive activities “a very productive and meaningful experience,” while another commended the “diversity of the group and interactions with new people, since climatic determinants of health can be a taboo topic in Low- to Moderate- income countries to even think about.”

What will course graduates do differently?

From utilizing data to inform decision making to advocating for climate and health priorities, participants rated themselves as more knowledgeable across all concepts in comparison to the pre-course survey. And graduates are planning to put that knowledge into practice. More than 75% indicated that they would share course resources and knowledge with others in their professional networks, and work to implement activities that support climate resilience or reduce emissions.

A microbiologist from the country of Djibouti who completed the course put it best: “This course improved my knowledge and skills in tackling challenges related to climate change and heath. Now I’m able to use some of the technology that is available in our organization to decrease the impact of climate change on health and present projects for better health care systems.”

Want to prepare yourself for a changing world? Join the waitlist for the next cohort today. Interested in funding a new cohort? Contact us here.

By Omondi Peter, GDDF Ambassador – Kenya

Being a sports enthusiast, Covid – 19 meant no team sports, and this was frustrating to me. I spent much of my time indoors building and testing online Life Skills Challenges for my students which I found interesting and consoling in some way.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, TechChange was looking for volunteers to help facilitate Happy Hour Sessions during the Our Future Our Voices Youth Summit under International Youth Foundation.

I signed up for the role and I was accepted. This role gave me an opportunity to learn and connect with a wide range of professionals from across the globe. My favorite moment though was the points segment whereby contributing and engaging on discussion threads earned one points. I emerged the top point winner for the Summit, and I felt so nice about it.

Since then, I kept following TechChange events and in 2022 I saw an open call for participation for Global Digital Development Forum to which I signed up.

My main aim here was to be the most active platform user and contributor on discussions that I felt were relevant. My goal was to earn the most points and win. I attended nearly all the live sessions, breakout sessions, listened to all the lightening talks, attended most the tech demos, and had my nose in nearly every virtual room of the GDDF 2022. Turned out to be the top point winner with 1852 points, followed very closely by Wayan Vota who came in second with 1631 points. Again, I felt motivated as I had found my niche and field of play.

Being a Top Point winner, I had a number of offers to choose from, I selected a 30 minutes 1 – 1 coaching session with CEO TechChange Nick Martin, our meeting was facilitated by Kristen Weymouth and I met Nick Martin who hinted to me about the Hybrid Pilot projects regarding the GDDF and asked if I would be interested to be part of that, I said to Nick, “By all means, bring it on.” True to his word I was recruited as an Ambassador for the Frontiers of Digital Development Forum in 2022, where my role was to organize and facilitate a hybrid watch Party in Nairobi.

Come 2023, TechChange again was looking to roll out a hybrid pilot for the Global Digital Development Forum and I was asked if I would be interested to be an Ambassador for the GDDF 2023 to which I accepted. This time I had two goals, to lead one of the best Watch Parties and to be the top point winner on the GDDF TechChange Platform.

GDDF 2023 Watch Party at Palladium’s Nairobi offices

I can proudly say I did both and felt really good about it. By being part of the first ever hybrid version of GDDF, leading a watch party that brought 29 participants and seven major organizational representatives in one room to engage on real issues affecting their local communities, the following are some of the lessons I learnt going through the process.

TechChange has a working model that is already transforming the convening landscape starting with Tech players and industries and more partners and stakeholders need to join in.
We do not have to travel to New York City etc for conferences to engage on issues affecting us locally, we can just be empowered to organize our local sessions and synchronize that to the main event happening anywhere around the world.
Building partnership is key for such projects to thrive, thank you to Palladium; Make it possible for believing on the idea and sponsoring and hosting the Kenya Watch Party.
Young people are a powerhouse of change, all they need is a clear direction and tools to realize their full potential.
The pandemic has transformed the way people view things especially the education and convening models and the hybrid mode approach is the way to go.

The Kenya watch Party event was unique, as it involved both local and international guests, with the most enticing element being the Team Project at the end where participants were divided into 4 groups, each group was tasked to come up with a project they will undertake post the GDDF 2023 to help mitigate Climate Change issues in Kenya.

With TechChange providing an open space for the ambassadors to create their own models to meet their own needs made the whole concept more interesting and fun as it allowed flexibility and creativity resulting to diverse outcomes.

With the firm foundation established for the future GDDF, the team is now building their own momentum focusing on the 2023 Kenya Watch Party Theme “Tech4ClimateChange” both online and offline looking forward to the GDDF 2024.

By: Emma Sakson

Delegates from all over the world have returned home after attending the 27th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, or COP27, which was convened in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt over the last few weeks. The first African COP since 2016 brought government representatives, climate activists and advocates, lobbyists, and policymakers together to hash out the details of an ambitious agenda to translate climate commitments and pledges into collective action towards our shared future.

COP27 panel *(from COP27 media library)*

Conveners came into a challenging, tense situation in Egypt, as the legacy of broken promises from COPs past loomed large, and many wondered whether any real progress could be made on topics that always seem to be a high-priority in name but not action.

At TechChange, we believe in the power of bringing people together to tackle big challenges related to topics that matter. And as someone who is obsessed with convenings, I was curious to see if COP27 would be the opportunity to do just that: tackle big challenges related to one of the topics that matters the most to every one of us on this planet.

While TechChange did not attend COP27 (we were busy hosting our inaugural Frontiers of Digital Development Forum!), we recognize the critical nature of this event and the work that countries, institutions and our partners do to harmonize global efforts to mitigate and adapt to the consequences of climate change.

In the days ahead, we’ll be keeping an eye on the following topics and key agenda items from COP27 to see if this convening can move the proverbial needle:

1. Climate finance must be prioritized

Low- and middle-income countries need more than $2 trillion in annual investments by 2030 to help fight climate change, yet commitments from climate funds are far from enough to fill that shortfall. The low- and middle-income countries most vulnerable to climate change have been vocal about the need for an agreement on loss and damage, or climate reparations, which has always been a somewhat controversial topic in the COPs of years past. In the final hours of COP27, the establishment of a loss and damage fund was agreed upon so that the high-income countries that helped to create the current climate crisis will compensate the countries experiencing the consequences of their actions. While the details of who will contribute and who will receive what from the fund remain unclear, it’s a huge step in the right direction. There are also strong calls to mobilize private capital and reform multilateral development banks to help fill this huge funding gap, but only time will tell if the status quo will actually change.

John Kerry addressing the COP27 delegates (from COP27 media library)

2. Trust must be rebuilt

Commitments and promises made by high-income countries to lower-income countries have been broken time and again in the past. Countries in the global south are feeling the disastrous impacts of climate change much more acutely than those in the global north, and suffering the consequences of other countries’ action (and inaction). Countries and institutions must prove they are good on their word and take action on their commitments coming out of COP27, or the galvanizing words spoken on stages are nothing but platitudes.

3. Our systems are failing, and quickly

As countries struggle with their own unique problems and pressures, the systems we have built, at a micro and macro level, are failing. Conflict, such as the war on Ukraine, have destabilized energy and food systems, and the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wage war on health systems globally. Natural disasters, such as the horrific floods in Pakistan and the drought in Horn of Africa, have taken countless lives and wreaked havoc on communities. The humanitarian system cannot support the needs of refugees, IDPs and human migration at large. We need to move quickly and strategically to address the most pressing challenges facing each of these systems, all of which are all feeling the heavy effects of the climate crisis.

***

These are only a few of the critical and multifaceted challenges discussed at COP27, but also some of the most pressing. As more convenings related to the climate crisis are organized in the weeks and months ahead, we’ll see if real progress on these issues is made and if the power of convening at COP27 can bring us closer to the future we are working towards.

“Loss and damage” fund signing at COP27 *(from COP27 media library)*

Bob Corbett’s final mapping project on flood-prone areas in Bangladesh. (Note: this map was prepared as a mapping exercise. Anyone viewing the map should understand that it would need to be reviewed and validated by a qualified expert before it should be relied upon.)

By Bob Corbett, TC141: Mapping for International Development alumnus

During my undergraduate work in Landscape Architecture, I learned a method of analyzing spatial data by overlaying various types of information on acetate sheets or tracing paper developed by Ian McHarg, a Scottish landscape architect. The technique is described here (Note: I am not related to the author). I have always been fascinated by this technique and the GIS capabilities available today make this type of analysis readily possible. This offline overlay technique was the basis of my final mapping project in TC141.

In mid-2011, I launched SMS in Action, an Ushahidi Crowdmap that lists text message based programs worldwide that contribute to the social good. To date, nearly 240 programs classified under 29 different categories have been profiled on SMS in Action and viewed by thousands of visitors from 119 countries. With my general interest in mapping piqued by my Crowdmap experience, I ventured into crisis mapping with the Standby Task Force and more recently, Crisismapper deployments using the Tomnod platform. I have since worked on a variety of crisis mapping efforts from locating refugee encampments in Somalia, to tracking forest and bush fires in Colorado and Australia and identifying storm damage after Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda in the Philippines to name a few.

TC141: Mapping for International Development

Taking the online course, Mapping for International Development, allowed me to combine my interests in ICT4D, international development, data visualization, and a love of maps. I very much enjoyed the format of TC141 with the combination of live presentations, weekly readings and videos, exercises, discussion forums, and the step-by-step instructions and “how-to” materials. Although I tried to “attend” each live presentation the fact that everything was archived for viewing at my convenience was a real plus. This being my first online course, I was surprised at the level of personal interaction available between participants as well as with the facilitator. Chris Neu was a great facilitator: always enthusiastic, arranged interesting presenters and shared an immense amount of information with course participants. I had no specific goals for the course at the outset other than to broaden my knowledge of available mapping technologies. I quickly realized TC141 provided me a chance to gain a capability to work with GIS, a long-term interest of mine. As a result, I selected QGIS, the open source GIS platform as the primary platform upon which to develop my course project.

Mapping with QGIS and MapBox’s TileMill
In a preliminary course exercise we were introduced to MapBox/TileMill. In a follow-up exercise I used MapBox/TileMill to create a simple map of the top ten world coastal cities at risk from flooding due to climate change – including Dhaka, Bangladesh. Given that we have a family friend from Bangladesh, I felt a more detailed investigation of flooding patterns in Bangladesh, an increasingly frequent problem, might lend itself to my major project for the course.

Drawing upon existing sources of information available via the Internet, I located shapefiles for administrative districts, the extent previous flooding, road systems, airport and hospital locations, topographic information, population data and more. After importing this information into QGIS I was able to identify recently flooded and flood prone areas of the country. Seeing how flooding can compartmentalize the country and disrupt the movement of people and relief supplies between areas, I then performed a quick search of key medical facilities and major airports to better understand which would be affected and which might be available to support relief efforts. The QGIS-based flood map was then exported into MapBox/TileMill where it was further refined using the tools and capabilities within the MapBox platform.

Mapping Bangladesh’s Flood-Prone Zones
Given that our Bangladeshi friend is engaged in development activities in the Khulna administrative district, I wanted to see whether flooding in Khulna might impact their area. Based on Internet research, I chose flooding from a 6-meter storm surge as the basis to work from. I then located ground elevation data for Bangladesh and loaded the file into QGIS. By filtering the elevation data I was able to “see” the general extent of flooding that might be expected in Khulna District by a 6-meter storm surge. I was very pleased with the resulting maps and the new skills and capabilities that I had gained. Prior to taking TC141, I was not even aware of QGIS or MapBox/TileMill. I feel compelled to note that my “flood maps” were solely academic mapping exercises and should not be interpreted to be definitive maps of anticipated flooding in Bangladesh. However, it did show me the new capabilities I had developed as a result of TC141.

Mapping in My Future
TC141 offered much more information than I have touched upon here. One area of discussion in the course was OpenStreetMap and Humanitarian OpenStreetMap. With my past involvement with crisis mapping I have developed an interest in pre-disaster planning. Although post-disaster efforts often involve hasty mapping after an event I am interested in what types of information and infrastructure could and should be mapped in advance of disasters as part of a preparedness program. For example, if we believe that climate change is expected to result in an increased frequency and intensity of tropical storms, typhoons, hurricanes, cyclones, etc. shouldn’t first responders and aid agencies have reliable maps to work with prior to a disaster? The Philippines experience, on average, 20 tropical storms per year. Accurate up-to-date maps of facilities and infrastructure needed to recover from such emergencies post-disaster should be mapped in advance in OpenStreetMap as part of a preparedness program. I am interested in learning more about the types of facilities and infrastructure that need to be mapped in advance as part of a preparedness effort and see OpenStreetMap as a logical platform for presenting that information.

Interested in learning how to build your own digital maps using the tools that Bob learned? Enroll now in our 4-week digital mapping course, Mapping for International Development.