TakingITGlobal - Panorama

Published on: Sep 4, 2007

Topic:

Type: Opinions

https://www.tigweb.org/express/panorama/article.html?ContentID=15745

As the world advances very rapidly, there is also a significant environmental crisis that is looming over our heads. With the ever rising risk of global warming and the resulting threat of climate change, the concern for environmental management has never been so urgent.

Having known the fact that the ICT sector can play a very important role in offering solutions for best management techniques, it is therefore important that we develo0p ways of ensuring environmental sustainability through the application of the ICT tools such as information systems designed to deliver ideas to potential upcoming environmental managers. This in view of the fact education is an integral part to ensuring the success of the campaign to have a good environment management.

By involving ICT, I mean incorporating various databases of details of the causes, consequences, and possible solutions to the issues affecting the environment. By offering good and updated information on the environment, it will ensure that those willing to give a hand in solving the environmental problems get to understand first hand the various ways to overcoming the hurdles met.

Sharing of information from researchers and making them available is the best approach. It is, however, better to understand that these information offered may be unique to only a particular area and may not be applicable to others. This though should not be a hindrance as there can still be ways to make them applicable through a lot of experimentation.

A good example of such important information is the biotic indices that are used to determine the level of environmental pollution. It has been noted that biotic index in the temperate areas are only unique to these areas, while at the same time, contrary to that fact that in these temperate areas, a lot of research work have been done, Africa, has little data on the use of biotic index. South Africa may be having some form of indices they use to determine river pollution and so on.

Environmental degradation activities that could have an impact on the global warming, however have not been indexed for one to know the level of contribution for instance to the release of green house gases to the atmosphere. The very much publicized carbon foot can be used to crate a database and a well designed software to let the institutions and individuals note how much there activities have contributed to the global warming.

This calls for a lot of coordination between environmental experts and the ICT experts. With this kind of information, it will be easier for the individuals and institution note what their threshold is and how much they need to do to reduce the green gas emition. This argument is based on the fact that there needs to be development, but more importantly, there needs to be sustainable development in all social and economy sector of the worlds so that as much as we improve our status of living, we also ensure that we do not jeopardize the survival of the younger and the future generations.
Software development, therefore, should be able to be a part and parcel of our environmental management strategy if we are to solve the issues of local and global concern such as the global warming. The software should be designed in a way that, using the data previously recorded, predict to what level we have contributed to saving or destructing our environment.

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by erick ochieng otieno
Published on: Sep 4, 2007
Topic:
Type: Opinions
https://www.tigweb.org/express/panorama/article.html?ContentID=15745


As the world advances very rapidly, there is also a significant environmental crisis that is looming over our heads. With the ever rising risk of global warming and the resulting threat of climate change, the concern for environmental management has never been so urgent. Having known the fact that the ICT sector can play a very important role in offering solutions for best management techniques, it is therefore important that we develo0p ways of ensuring environmental sustainability through the application of the ICT tools such as information systems designed to deliver ideas to potential upcoming environmental managers. This in view of the fact education is an integral part to ensuring the success of the campaign to have a good environment management. By involving ICT, I mean incorporating various databases of details of the causes, consequences, and possible solutions to the issues affecting the environment. By offering good and updated information on the environment, it will ensure that those willing to give a hand in solving the environmental problems get to understand first hand the various ways to overcoming the hurdles met. Sharing of information from researchers and making them available is the best approach. It is, however, better to understand that these information offered may be unique to only a particular area and may not be applicable to others. This though should not be a hindrance as there can still be ways to make them applicable through a lot of experimentation. A good example of such important information is the biotic indices that are used to determine the level of environmental pollution. It has been noted that biotic index in the temperate areas are only unique to these areas, while at the same time, contrary to that fact that in these temperate areas, a lot of research work have been done, Africa, has little data on the use of biotic index. South Africa may be having some form of indices they use to determine river pollution and so on. Environmental degradation activities that could have an impact on the global warming, however have not been indexed for one to know the level of contribution for instance to the release of green house gases to the atmosphere. The very much publicized carbon foot can be used to crate a database and a well designed software to let the institutions and individuals note how much there activities have contributed to the global warming. This calls for a lot of coordination between environmental experts and the ICT experts. With this kind of information, it will be easier for the individuals and institution note what their threshold is and how much they need to do to reduce the green gas emition. This argument is based on the fact that there needs to be development, but more importantly, there needs to be sustainable development in all social and economy sector of the worlds so that as much as we improve our status of living, we also ensure that we do not jeopardize the survival of the younger and the future generations. Software development, therefore, should be able to be a part and parcel of our environmental management strategy if we are to solve the issues of local and global concern such as the global warming. The software should be designed in a way that, using the data previously recorded, predict to what level we have contributed to saving or destructing our environment. « return.