ICT and the Environment in Developing Countries: an Overview of Opportunities and Developments

Both developed and developing countries face many environmental challenges, including climate change, improving energy efficiency and waste management, addressing air pollution, water quality and scarcity, and loss of natural habitats and biodiversity. Drawing on the existing literature, this paper presents an overview of how the Internet and the ICT and related research communities can help tackle environmental challenges in developing countries. The review focuses on the role of ICTs in climate change mitigation, mitigating other environmental pressures, and climate change adaptation.information and communication technology (ICT), environment, climate change, mitigation, adaptation.

Recent technical innovations around HF radar technology and steps towards integrated national HF radar networks

HF Radar is a proven technology for ocean observing that has at present more than 600 references in the world and which is since April 2016 in application on all continents for the purpose of 2D surface currents and waves monitoring. This has only been possible 44 years after its first implementation in 1972 in San Clemente Island in California, thanks to the permanent evolution of the radar technology with key achievements such as the present unique system compactness and its capability to make a very efficient use of the radio spectrum. This paper firstly presents some of the latest technical innovations around HF radar technology that are making the technology even more reliable, accurate and useful such as the new Automatic Antenna Pattern Generation solution based on AIS vessel positions and the implementation of new added value trajectory models forced by HF Radar surface currents able to accurately predict oil spill transport and movement of particles on the sea or persons adrift. Secondly, we present current plans existing in the Iberian Peninsula HF Radar network to integrate HF Radar technology as an operational component of a national tsunami early warning system. Finally, the advanced HF Radar system implemented by the Direction de la Météorologie Nationale du Royaume du Maroc is presented; one of the latest deployed systems and the first permanent system operating in Africa.Peer Reviewe

Weather and Climate Information for Tourism

The tourism sector is one of the largest and fastest growing global industries and is a significant contributor to national and local economies around the world. The interface between climate and tourism is multifaceted and complex, as climate represents both a vital resource to be exploited and an important limiting factor that poses risks to be managed by the tourism industry and tourists alike. All tourism destinations and operators are climate-sensitive to a degree and climate is a key influence on travel planning and the travel experience. This chapter provides a synopsis of the capacities and needs for climate services in the tourism sector, including current and emerging applications of climate services by diverse tourism end-users, and a discussion of key knowledge gaps, research and capacity-building needs and partnerships that are required to accelerate the application of climate information to manage risks to climate variability and facilitate successful adaptation to climate change

Weather and Climate Information for Tourism

The tourism sector is one of the largest and fastest growing global industries and is a significant contributor to national and local economies around the world. The interface between climate and tourism is multifaceted and complex, as climate represents both a vital resource to be exploited and an important limiting factor that poses risks to be managed by the tourism industry and tourists alike. All tourism destinations and operators are climate-sensitive to a degree and climate is a key influence on travel planning and the travel experience. This chapter provides a synopsis of the capacities and needs for climate services in the tourism sector, including current and emerging applications of climate services by diverse tourism end-users, and a discussion of key knowledge gaps, research and capacity-building needs and partnerships that are required to accelerate the application of climate information to manage risks to climate variability and facilitate successful adaptation to climate change

Weather and Climate Information for Tourism

The tourism sector is one of the largest and fastest growing global industries and is a significant contributor to national and local economies around the world. The interface between climate and tourism is multifaceted and complex, as climate represents both a vital resource to be exploited and an important limiting factor that poses risks to be managed by the tourism industry and tourists alike. All tourism destinations and operators are climate-sensitive to a degree and climate is a key influence on travel planning and the travel experience. This chapter provides a synopsis of the capacities and needs for climate services in the tourism sector, including current and emerging applications of climate services by diverse tourism end-users, and a discussion of key knowledge gaps, research and capacity-building needs and partnerships that are required to accelerate the application of climate information to manage risks to climate variability and facilitate successful adaptation to climate change

Trends in Resource Extraction and Implications for Sustainability in Canada

There is a disagreement on the concept, definition and application of the paradigm of sustainable development. The definition that has been accepted by many involves several components, and it is difficult to measure or quantify indicators. Depending on the structure of the economy, it is possible to identify important variables and examine some aspects of sustainability. In this respect, analysis of indicators related to the extraction of natural resources seems to be appropriate for a resource-based economy. For resource-based economy such as Canada is the speed with which natural resources are extracted greatly influence patterns of growth and development. Indicators can be established to measure the progress toward to or demise of sustainability. Indicators that deal with the speed with which resources such as non-renewable energy, minerals, forests, soil, water, etc., have been utilized to examine aspects of sustainability. However, these indicators have been argued to provide less guidance for the implementation of feasible public policies unless supplemented by other kinds of analyses that relate resource use with socioeconomic parameters. The utilization of resources could be evaluated in relation to available stock as a proxy for progress toward sustainability. The extraction of resources may also cause major environmental problems due to the release of pollutants or wastes that requires an increasing amount of expenditure for environmnetal protection. This is crucial for countries such as Canada whose major export is dependent on availability of natural resources and heavily impacted by external public debt. The present study will examine stock, depletion and addition of natural resources to evaluate sustainability of consumption patterns. In addition, the consumption of these resources will be compared with selected socioeconomic indicators such as GDP, employment, etc., to anticipate whether or not these factors may have contributed to increased consumption of natural resources. Furthermore, attempts will be made to investigate the patterns of expenditure to protect the environment from wastes and pollutants. The findings of this study could serve as an early warning system with respect to depletion of resources and their consequent environmental impacts.sustainable development; extraction; natural resources; Canada; non-renewable energy; environmental protection; stock; depletion; time series; econometric

The role of science in physical natural hazard assessment : report to the UK Government by the Natural Hazard Working Group

Following the tragic Asian tsunami on 26 December 2004, the Prime Minister asked the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir David King, to convene a group of experts (the Natural Hazard Working Group) to advise on the mechanisms that could and should be established for the detection and early warning of global physical natural hazards. 2. The Group was asked to examine physical hazards which have high global or regional impact and for which an appropriate early warning system could be put in place. It was also asked to consider the global natural hazard frameworks currently in place and under development and their effectiveness in using scientific evidence; to consider whether there is an existing appropriate international body to pull together the international science community to advise governments on the systems that need to be put in place, and to advise on research needed to fill current gaps in knowledge. The Group was asked to make recommendations on whether a new body was needed, or whether other arrangements would be more effective

ECONOMIC FORECASTS AND ANALYSIS FOR STATE FISCAL MANAGEMENT

Public Economics,