The United Nations International Telecommunication Union have released a report stating that it believes the global information and communication technology industry needs to adopt new methods in order to survive the long-term effects of climate change.
The report suggests that the IT sector should design an informed adaptation strategy in order to survive the effects of climate change in the long term. It went further to say that local, sectoral, national and international actions should be integrated to ensure resilience to climate change. The report “Resilient Pathways” (PDF) was created in partnership with UNFCCC and UNESCO.
The report highlights the requirement for improvements in numerous areas of technology, such as telecommunication coverage and work to strengthen the stability of IT infrastructure. Virtualisation, server networks and system back-ups were further highlighted, with the recommendation of new, novel approaches to ensure the continuity of services and operations during climate disturbances.
Within the report, a variety of suggested actions are proposed to combat the negative effects of climate change, which include the use of backup power at mobile network towers, developing high-speed broadband and increased availability of wireless services for those in rural areas.
