Rising global temperatures are intensifying storms, floods, and wildfires, disrupting not only lives and livelihoods but also the digital systems that underpin modern health, education, and disaster response. Many sector leaders anticipate additional challenges in implementing digital programs due to worsening climate conditions, as new research by Devex and Vodafone Foundation, based on the input of over 1,000 development professionals, reveals.
Addressing these challenges while bringing real-world solutions to the fore, Devex hosted a workshop in partnership with the foundation as part of Devex Impact House at the 80th United Nations General Assembly. The discussion focused on the key issues and opportunities for digital tools to support climate adaptation across the development sector.
Strengthening infrastructure for resilience
Climate change is already straining digital systems, with disruptive floods and wildfires increasing in frequency and severity.
Joe Griffin, Vodafone Foundation’s senior manager of sustainability strategy, cited the 2022 floods in Pakistan, which he said were caused by unseasonal monsoon weather and collapsing glaciers. “Obviously, power went down. Digital technology went down as well,” he said.
According to Griffin, adapting to this reality calls for “investing in resilient infrastructure with decentralized energy renewables and the hybrid backup systems that we need to keep this critical infrastructure operating even in the toughest conditions.
Doreen Bogdan-Martin, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union, or ITU, also called for more investment toward climate-resilient networks — “networks that can actually withstand extreme weather events, ensuring we have strong fiber and redundancy built in in case something goes down.”
Designing digital tools with climate realities in mind
Resilience is not just about physical infrastructure, as participants pointed out. Digital solutions themselves must be designed to work under extreme and resource-constrained conditions. According to our report, while 95% of survey respondents agreed that digital technology can help address climate impacts, only 55% felt current tools are adequately adapted.
Joakim Reiter, chief external and corporate affairs officer at Vodafone Group and Vodafone Foundation Trustee, emphasized that climate resilience is becoming as central to product design as security once was. “The last big wave was [about] how do you build trust by design, security, and privacy? The next big wave is how do you build climate resilience?” he said.
Griffin stressed the importance of ensuring that digital tools in the development context are “fit for purpose.” He recommended a greater shift toward “using modular systems, which can be repaired, and more importantly, repaired locally, using skilling up and making opportunities for economies there.”
Inclusive participation through collaboration
Tools such as digital IDs and mobile payment systems can be lifelines for displaced populations, but only if they are designed with their input, according to Kelly Clements, deputy high commissioner at the UN Refugee Agency. “It really isn’t up to us. It is up to the people that we’re working with … they know best,” she said.
From building public trust in digital systems for climate adaptation to implementing solutions at scale, “it’s all about partnerships,” Bogdan-Martin said. She pointed to ITU’s involvement in multistakeholder initiatives, such as its role in advancing global standards such as the Common Alerting Protocol, which underpins the U.N.’s Early Warnings for All as a promising example of collaborating toward significant progress.
“We’re committed to making sure all countries in the world have an early warning system by 2027, and what's incredible is that it could happen tomorrow, because … the solutions are there,” she said.
According to the report, 81% of survey respondents said there's not enough collaboration happening to address issues around climate adaptation. Griffin concluded the panel portion of the event by citing this figure and urging the sector to follow ITU’s lead by finding more ways to work collaboratively.
“I think the key thing is to use the [report’s] blueprint to actually take action, rather than just let it gather dust,” he said.
Watch the Future Ready: Adapting digital development solutions for a +1.5ºC world session on YouTube and click here to read the full report.
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