Imagine a network of thousands of tiny weather stations dotted around Africa, each conveying critical meteorological data to farmers through mobile phones, radio or even comic books.
That's a concept that will be put into practice soon by a major climate change forum that met this week, in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organisation, a small number of donors, some private companies and the Earth Institute at New York's Columbia University.
While the details remain rather hazy, the idea is to hand out ready-made boxes containing thermal meters, wind speed devices, humidity and air temperature gauges and other instruments. Aid agencies would help get the data to those who need it in a variety of innovative ways.
"You need data because with climate change, rainfall patterns change," said programme director Martin Frick. "For generations, you could pass on knowledge from father to son. Now climate change is changing that and it's not working anymore.Â?
Frick said the project was a good example of what the Global Humanitarian Forum (GHF) Â? an annual gathering of movers and shakers from government, business, academia and the aid world - could achieve because it would bring in a number of partners, from mobile phone and internet companies to aid workers and climate scientists.
Organised by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the first GHF was intended to bring together people who wouldnÂ?t normally be in the same room to talk about the human impact of climate change issues and, most importantly, to come up with some solutions.
Â?We want to turn ideas into action Â? I said from the beginning that we donÂ?t just want this to be a talking shop,Â? Annan told the 300 or so distinguished participants. Â?The plan is to follow up on the ideas and discussions weÂ?ve had here, and we will keep you informed. Â?
On Wednesday afternoon, at the end of the two-day gathering in a luxury hotel, feelings were mixed.
I asked two of the young climate witnesses who gave their testimonies in the opening session what they thought (read their stories).
Rishika Das Roy from India told me she was a little disillusioned because thereÂ?d been too much talk about what should happen at major U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen at the end of 2009 and not enough about what could be done now.
And Jesse Mike from Canada said sheÂ?d appreciated the opportunity to engage with so many powerful people, but had hoped some kind of concrete action plan would emerge.
One climate adaptation specialist told me she hadnÂ?t really learned a great deal, and the discussion had been on the superficial side. But it had been a good networking opportunity.
So how did Kofi Annan himself assess the progress made?
Â?In these two days we have gone some way towards strengthening the global communityÂ?s commitment to the issue,Â? he told the closing session. He said there had been agreement on the need for a global alliance to push for climate justice in international negotiations (meaning rich polluters must pay to help the poor cope with climate change and develop in a more environmentally friendly way).
In terms of concrete initiatives, though, there was relatively little to show.
Along with the weather station concept, the final press release mentioned only one specific project - an initiative to Â?light a billion livesÂ? with solar lanterns, spearheaded by U.N. climate panel head Rajendra Pachauri.
The gathering did identify priority areas for action Â? water provision, transfer of low carbon technologies and support for agriculture Â? but didnÂ?t decide exactly how it would tackle them. Annan did promise, however, to form a task force to work out new ways of financing urgently needed measures to help people cope with the impact of climate change.
Â?This first meeting was to create the network that we wanted to have in order to make things happen, and then we go away and work with this network,Â? said Frick.
There was some scepticism about the lavish nature of an event that focused on the poor and vulnerable, as well as the under-representation of those regions likely to be worst affected (Africa and Asia). Journalists were a bit disgruntled because they werenÂ?t allowed into the brainstorming sessions Â? a policy Annan said would likely be revised next year.
It may be unrealistic to expect great things to emerge on the spot from this kind of high-level gathering. But it would be a downright waste if it didnÂ?t lead to tangible outcomes or have a significant influence further down the line.
Jesse Mike made that crystal clear when she asked why not one participant had stood up and offered to give her colleague Rishika Das Roy $10 to purchase a mangrove tree for a coastal plantation project sheÂ?s running.
Kofi Annan quipped that the meeting wasnÂ?t a fundraising event, although he promised the forum would put the young climate witnesses in touch with people who could help their projects.
HeÂ?d better follow through if he wants to avoid making them a whole lot angrier about the worldÂ?s tardy response to climate change.
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