How to adapt digital development solutions to a +1.5°C world

The past decade has been the hottest on record. The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Global Climate assessment disclosed 2024 to likely be the first year that global temperatures exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels — with a record 45.8 million people displaced by disasters by the end of the year and hundreds of millions more affected by floods, storms, and heatwaves.

Digital technologies, while offering viable solutions to building climate resilience, are proving just as vulnerable in these settings. In light of this, a new report from the Vodafone Foundation, in partnership with Devex, titled “Tech 1.5: Adapting digital solutions for a +1.5ºC world,” explores how digital development can withstand and adapt to the realities of a rapidly changing climate.

Based on a global survey of over 1,130 development professionals, alongside in-depth interviews and high-level roundtable discussions, the research focuses on three critical sectors: health, education, and disaster resilience.

The survey found that while 84% of organizations use digital solutions in their programs, 88% say their effectiveness is already being undermined by climate shocks, with damaged infrastructure, connectivity losses, and power grid failure jeopardizing essential services from telehealth to early warning systems.

Likewise, nearly all respondents agree these technologies can help programs withstand shocks, yet half say their sustainability is already being eroded.

“At Vodafone Foundation, our mission is to connect for good, using our technology and charitable giving to address some of the world's most pressing problems — a commitment we deliver by driving inclusion through digital learning, supporting individuals and communities in times of crisis and emergency, and using technology to support those at risk of harm and abuse,” said Joakim Reiter, chief external and corporate affairs officer for Vodafone Group and Vodafone Foundation Trustee. “In this latest report, we place the lens of climate change across all of our work as well as that of other key players in the sector to increase awareness and commitments to climate-adaptive digital solutions.

“It’s clear from the feedback of those we spoke to that the future demands a shift from siloed digital interventions to climate-smart digital ecosystems that are inclusive, resilient, and community-driven,” Reiter added. “With the right investments, design choices, and partnerships, digital tools can serve not only as accelerators of development but as critical enablers of climate adaptation, helping secure a more equitable and sustainable future for all.”

The report identifies four key challenges and a blueprint for action. Here are the main takeaways:

1. Building inclusive and resilient infrastructure

Persistent weaknesses in digital and basic infrastructure leave vulnerable regions and communities exposed to climate shocks.

The 2022 floods in Pakistan highlighted these vulnerabilities when fiber networks were disrupted, cutting off connectivity for millions. According to the report, 69% of respondents cite infrastructure damage as the top climate-related factor affecting digital programs, followed closely by connectivity loss at 65%.

“Once connectivity breaks down, all the software built on top of it stops functioning,” said Abhinav Sinha, manufacturing and information and communication technology, or ICT, lead at British International Investment. “Climate change is taking a serious toll on these systems, faster than anyone expected. Backup batteries fail under high temperatures, and flooding is occurring at levels we’ve never seen before. These events are severely damaging the very tools we rely on to deliver support.”

The report highlights a clear blueprint for action: Invest in resilient, inclusive infrastructure that can withstand climate shocks.

2. Designing localized solutions that are fit for purpose

Many tools are not adapted to local realities, limiting usability, uptake, and resilience. While 95% of respondents agree digital technologies can help development programs withstand climate impacts, only 20% believe they are currently well adapted.

Through its award-winning Instant Network Emergency Response program, Vodafone Foundation deploys employee volunteers and communications technologies in emergencies to restore and provide free, vital communications and technical support to aid agencies, victims of natural disasters and other crises, and refugees in remote areas. “We were finding climate events were more extreme, which made it harder to reach the affected country quickly or respond immediately. During the last few years, we have adapted this programme to shift from response to preparedness, establishing national hubs so that the equipment can be deployed faster, and training local teams and first responders in advance of emergencies,” said Lisa Felton, managing director at Vodafone Foundation.  

“If you go into hospitals in many LMICs, you’ll often find a storage room full of equipment where you might see even the latest technologies that have failed,” said Pradeep Kakkattil, CEO of Health Innovation Exchange, or HIEx. “Why? Because they weren’t designed for the reality on the ground. Power fluctuates, and when you lose electricity and it comes back, there’s a massive surge. That damages the equipment.”

Designing fit-for-purpose solutions with features such as offline functionality, low-energy use, and localized adaptability is essential for building climate resilience into digital systems.

Vodafone Foundation’s Instant Network Schools program, or INS, launched in 2013 in partnership with the U.N. Refugee Agency, shows what that may look like in practice. The program equips refugee and host community classrooms with satellite- or mobile-connected Wi-Fi and solar-powered electricity, ensuring access even when national systems are disrupted.

The INS program also illustrates how climate-resilient design can be tailored to local needs by integrating digital content, teacher training, and classroom support to strengthen national education systems in host countries. More than 378,062 students and 6,888 teachers have benefited so far, with recent satisfaction surveys finding that 94% of students said the program improved their learning experience and 95% of teachers said INS improved lesson preparation and delivery.

“As temperatures have increased, the program has adapted to protect devices against battery damage caused by extreme heat, with remote monitoring of battery temperatures and increased training on storage and care for devices,” said Felton.

3.  Supporting the critical need for digital skills

Without the skills to use digital platforms, vulnerable groups risk exclusion from services such as telemedicine, online education, and early warning systems. In the survey, 55% of respondents identified capacity building and digital literacy as the top enablers for making digital tools more climate-resilient.

As a result, the report’s blueprint for action recommends focusing on strengthening digital skills so communities can act as cocreators and long-term stewards of technology.

“Too often, there’s a focus on invention, but uptake is just as critical — especially in climate-vulnerable communities where technology must translate into real-world impact,” said a roundtable participant.

A practical example can be seen in UNHCR’s Innovation Service, which supports refugee-led organizations by soliciting more than 2,500 ideas annually and providing technical assistance and funding for the strongest proposals. Programs such as Connectivity for Refugees — developed in partnership with ITU, GSMA, and the government of Luxembourg — are also designed to cocreate solutions with forcibly displaced communities, ensuring that interventions are tailored to local realities.

“We ask them to define their own challenges and propose solutions rather than imposing technologies ourselves,” explained Hovig Etyemezian, head of innovation service at UNHCR.

4. The ecosystem needs stronger collaboration and financing

Weak coordination among governments, donors, private sector players, and local communities slows innovation and scaling. More than 80% of respondents said global development actors are not collaborating enough, while 90% called for increased investment in climate-resilient digital solutions. The survey found that government players, in particular, are widely recognized as best positioned to lead this effort.

The report’s blueprint for action underscores the need to strengthen collaboration and financing models to unlock cross-sector partnerships and scale innovation. One initiative already taking action is HIEx.

“The core challenge is that we all operate in our own comfortable verticals,” said HIEx’s Kakkattil. “There’s little cross-sector dialogue, and international organizations aren’t really enabling those conversations. Yet the most value lies in the intersections. Everyone has a role to play, but the architecture and language for collaboration are missing.”

Launched in 2019 under UNAIDS, HIEx is designed to address gaps in health care innovation by fostering dialogue and partnerships, including convening strategic partnerships at global forums, building ecosystems through its Market Access Accelerator, and accelerating investment via initiatives such as a $500 million climate-health fund aimed at scaling solutions in underserved, climate-vulnerable regions.

For more insights and recommendations on how to adapt digital development solutions for a changing climate, read the full report here.