Digital Technologies for Resilience
World Bank · 2024
Reveals that low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remain particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, with 8 of the 10 countries most affected by extreme weather events in 2019 classified as vulnerable to both the gradual effects of climate change and climate shocks. Digital technologies can provide part of the solution to both sets of problems. Digital infrastructure and applications can build adaptive capacity before, during, and after climate shocks: before, digital financial and insurance services can serve as a safety net against income loss; during, early warning solutions can prove critical to protecting vulnerable populations; and after, the availability of digital identification (ID) systems and digital financial services can allow rapid, targeted, and effective outreach to affected populations through cash transfers and information. The complexity of climate adaptation strategies requires an interdisciplinary approach integrating a systematization of scientific knowledge measures across sectors. Data collection for tracking climate adaptation progress, therefore, suffers from several overarching challenges.