Agriculture – Page 31

Agriculture, Environment, Health, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Researchers collect ‘signals intelligence’ on insect pests

Entomologist Richard Mankin examines signals collected by an inexpensive prototype system (on the bench, at his fingertips) for automated insect detection and identification.

Photo Credit: Agricultural Research Service

It may sound a little far fetched for development right now, but using off the shelf components to detect insects by sound could have some important applications in environment, health, and agriculture some day – and these days, “some day” always seems a little sooner than you would expect. This could be important for example in identifying the vector of a particularly virulent emerging infectious disease, or in early detection of and rapid response to an invasive forest or agricultural pest. File it away in the “you never know” drawer.

Researchers collect ‘signals intelligence’ on insect pests.

March 24, 2011/by actualize

Agriculture, Basic Education, Education, Education, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

New Toolkit helps schools establish, maintain and expand computer facilities

Across the world, governments, donors, private companies, parents and schools are establishing computer facilities and connecting them to the Internet in an effort to improve education. Although well intentioned, a common result of these efforts is the challenge schools have in keeping their computers running, covering increased costs for electricity, paying for Internet connectivity and integrating the use of computers into the curriculum.

The Computer System Sustainability Toolkit is designed to help staff, students and parents at schools gain the skills needed to develop and implement plans to establish and/or sustain their computer systems. The Toolkit is written so that members of the school and community can create and implement their plans without additional external support.

Does this Toolkit work? Can computer facilities at schools really become self-sustaining entities? Can schools really generate sufficient income from their facilities to keep their systems running, to buy new equipment, and to build the capacity of their staff to use the computers? Can schools really learn to integrate the use of their computers across their curriculum? And can they do all this on their own?

The short answer to these questions, at least according to the initial evidence, is YES!

The content from the Toolkit was first used with the staff and students at five rural schools in Southern Sumatra as part of a small project that was funded by Qualcomm Wireless Reach. Before this effort, most of the computers that had been installed at these schools a year earlier were not working, the schools were no longer connected to the Internet and the IT teachers were the only teachers at these schools who were using the computers with students. Now, three years later, all the computers at these schools are fully functioning, the labs are well maintained, most teachers at these schools now use the labs with their students and each school has a well established Student Support Technicians Club (SSTC). And all this has been done with funds generated through the use of their computer facilities.

Digital copies of the toolkit in color and grayscale, along with a variety of tools and templates can be downloaded online at: http://aed.org/Publications/computer-system-sustainability-toolkit.cfm

March 23, 2011/by actualize

Agriculture, Climate Change, Environment, Forestry, Land Management, Natural Resources Management, Originally posted on the GBI Portal, Policy Development

ICT and Citizen Science

Maryland Science Center – Citizen Science – C3.

The Maryland Science Center is developing a smartphone application to allow users to measure and monitor the urban heat island effect. “UNI provides a glimpse” according to their website, “at what the world may look like with warmer temperatures.” This will help urban planners and inhabitants to develop strategies to cope, e.g., planting more shade trees and choosing varieties and species that are well adapted to the climate of the urban environment.

This is a good example of how ICT can enhance citizen science, a particularly promising flavor of public participation consistent with good government principles. Smartphones, while sometimes available, are not widely affordable in developing countries, and in many places, the data networks to support them are not in place. There are however ways to use SMS, which is widely available, for citizen observations. Any good examples of environmental monitoring using SMS would be welcome!

March 10, 2011/by actualize

Agriculture, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Rural Women Farmers in Uganda Increasing their use of ICTs

Woman seated at table, displaying various ICTs such as phones, CDs, and cassettes.

Photo credit: Ntulume Village Women's Association

Rural women farmers are increasing their use of ICTs, a recent project evaluation for Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) revealed. The project, “Enhancing Access to Agricultural Information” began in 2005 with the goal of developing and improving information and communication systems to provide access to agricultural information for rural women farmers via a variety of ICTs including mobile phones, radio cassettes, and community radio. A five year evaluation of the project indicates that not only had ICT usage increased since inception, but the range of reasons why the rural women farmers used ICTs had broadened to include access to market information, reach out to agricultural extension workers, and participation in community radio shows as panelists and by calling-in.

Approximately 85% of farmers in Africa are women, and technology is consistently becoming a more important tool for communication in rural areas. Dorothy Okello, Director of WOUGHNET, wrote on her blog on e-Agriculture, that the organization has come up with the following key lessons:

While e-Agriculture projects are possible with rural communities, no one technology can be used in isolation. Innovative use of available and affordable technologies has to be made.
At the infrastructure level, pro-poor gender-sensitive ICT policies have to be in place to support ready access to affordable high-speed ICT infrastructure.
Partnerships and collaborations are of paramount importance. For example, WOUGNET has partnered with national and local agricultural research institutions, universities and agricultural-focused organizations for their projects.
ICT projects at community level require time. Since ICT projects do not always provide tangible inputs or outputs, people take long to appreciate them. The process of transfer from information to a final product is a process and the community needs time to understand, so such projects cannot be hurried or rushed.
There is a clear relationship between the level of literacy and response to ICT-based innovations if community livelihoods are to be improved. In general, applications that are voice-based or image-based will fare better but may be more costly or more demanding of high-speed ICT infrastructure.
ICT projects require social and technological skills as well as commitment of the various stakeholders.
ICT projects can create an inclusive public sphere, for example, the aged, disabled can participate in such projects as they allow for participation in addition to anonymity and solidarity.

March 8, 2011/by actualize

Agriculture, Connectivity, Education, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Closing the Urban-Rural Digital Divide: Connectivity Success in Macedonia

Cover for the Macedonia Connects project

Photo Credit: AED

Within the context of USAID, most often rural connectivity initiatives are undertaken within the context of a sector-specific program/project. This was the case case with Macedonia Connects, or what is more frequently referred to as MK Connects. This project may well be one of the more successful Last Mile Initiative (LMI) project undertaken by USAID.

In fact MK Connects is much, much more. The LMI project was undertaken as but one component of a unique national commitment to improve education, as well as a unique partnering of a significant number of both public and private sector partners.

The foundation for the success of MK Connects was the government of Macedonia’s commitment to a program for delivering a computer for every child. The result was a nationwide broadband network providing broadband into every primary and secondary school—many of which were in remote rural locations. Further, the project incorporated native language education content being delivered over this network to over 460 primary and secondary schools nationwide.

The journey started in 2002 when China donated 5,000 personal computers to support what soon became the e-Schools Project of the Ministry of Education and Science–a project that ran between 2003-2008. The MK Connects project was a piece of this larger initiative, which in 2006 was augmented by the Primary Education Project (PEP). Both MC Connects and PEP were USAID supported initiatives executed through the Academy for Educational Development (AED).

While focused on supporting Macedonia’s commitment to improve and modernize their education system top to bottom, MK Connects went well beyond connecting the 460 primary and secondary schools along with university campuses.

Picture of students in school crowded around a computer

Photo Credit: AED

As the project got started in 2003, it was estimated that only 4 percent of the Macedonia’s population had access to the Internet. As the project concluded in 2007, Macedonia was the first country on the planet to achieve universal nation-wide wireless broadband coverage. Not only were all the nation’s schools connected, but the project design also provided coverage for access by private sector businesses, the government, individuals, etc.

This connectivity was undertaken through a competitive process where a local Internet Service Provider (ISP) was able to build this nation wide network in just 4 years. Motorola provided the wireless technology solution set, Canopy, a pre-WiMAX solution.

MK Connects, along with a number of important partners, was a unique experience with regards to modernizing Macedonia’s entire education system. However, the fundamental approach taken in Macedonia holds promise for application to countries around the world. The MK Connects model has been applied in neighboring Montenegro to bring more than seventy percent of the country on-line. A similar project has been constructed in Georgia. And Senegal is the first African country seeking to replicate this model.

For more information, refer to the information on Macedonia contained in the GBI project database and MK Connects case study in the document library.

March 3, 2011/by actualize

Agriculture, Agriculture, Food Security & Rural Development, Areas of Expertise, Biodiversity, Democracy & Governance, Environment, Environment, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Next Task Order: Flying Robots

Or more precisely, swarming micro air vehicles, to create a communications cloud where infrastructure is destroyed during an emergency like an earthquake. SciDev reports on a Swiss innovation that hovers at the extreme end of ICT4D – at least for now. Flying robots could help in disaster rescue – SciDev.Net.

But the same team also produced the awesome SenseFly drone, which costs around 9K and fits in a briefcase. The possibilities for monitoring and mapping for biodiversity and agriculture appear to be endless. Check out the video.

Lest you think I’m a shill for the Lausanne techies, let me take the opportunity to draw your attention to some homebrew options. These won’t create the swarming communications cloud suitable for a major disaster, but a lot can happen.

Grassroots Mapping is a network of technology hackers that use balloon and kite mounted digital cameras in mapping, to serve as “community satellites” – a low cost remote sensing alternative to satellite imagery that can get surprisingly good results. Significantly, the technology is affordable and can be put in the hands of communities for participatory planning, independent monitoring, and access to information – key aspects of our quest for good governance. The Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science is a sister initiative working to develop new technologies for grassroots mappers.

I’ve mentioned Participatory GIS – the use of GIS in community mapping – in earlier posts. PPGIS is a virtual network online consisting of resources and a very active email list to support a peer-to-peer learning network spanning the globe.

So there you have it – we started with a drone swarm and ended up with a kite. The needs of tomorrow (and today) will be well served by one or the other.

As the wise one said, knowledge is knowing that the tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.

March 2, 2011/by actualize

Agriculture, Cross Cutting, Economic Growth & Trade, Education, Humanitarian Assistance, Humanitarian Assistance, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

NetHope Academy Haiti Internship Program

The NetHope Academy‘s ICT Skills Capacity Building Intern Program will give Haitian university students and recent graduates the opportunity to gain significant IT skills that will allow them to directly participate in the reconstruction of their communities and increase their economic opportunities.

During the course of this internship, candidates will work in the IT departments for participating humanitarian organizations and private sector companies. Program highlights include:

Six month internship program for Haitian computer science and engineering students/graduates that provides real world “on the job” training along with focused classroom and self-study learning opportunities
Internships will be geared towards desktop support, network administration, and telecommunications jobs
Participating organizations will increase capacity of their IT departments and contribute to the development of IT labor pool in Haiti

March 2, 2011/by actualize

Agriculture, Environment, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Tools: ICT Update is a useful agriculture bulletin

The EU sponsored Technical Center for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation’s ICT update newsletter has a special issue on mobile apps featuring case studies from Africa.

Home – ICT Update, a current awareness bulletin for ACP agriculture.

March 1, 2011/by actualize

Agriculture, Health, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Gates: mobile phones and global health

At a keynote address at the mHealth Summit in Washington in November 2010, Bill Gates discussed the use of mobile phone technology for health programs. But he cautions “we have to approach these things with some humility … we have to hold ourselves to some pretty tough metrics to see if it’s really making a difference.”

AFP: Mobile technology can help improve global health: Gates.

March 1, 2011/by actualize

Agriculture, Cross Cutting, Democracy & Governance, Economic Growth & Trade, Education, Environment, Environment, Health, Humanitarian Assistance, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Apps for Development

Apps for Development.

Voting is open for the World Bank’s apps for development competition.

“The Apps for Development Competition aims to bring together the best ideas from both the software developer and the development practitioner communities to create innovative apps using World Bank data.”

I like the idea. But many of the apps appear to be solutions looking for a problem, probably due to the requirements that entries use World Bank data and address the Millennium Development Goals. Many entries were not meant to address field-level development needs, which is disappointing. But it is a great initiative, which can be adjusted in future efforts.

The Microsoft sponsored ImagineCup 2011 student IT competition is under way too. Its theme is imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems, also based on the Millennium Development Goals. Deadlines loom so pass the word to interested students.

It will be very interesting to see what comes out of these contests, and if someone can analyze them, see what we can learn about ramping up efforts to develop technologies to solve real-world problems.

Personally, I would like to see the GBI portal become a clearinghouse for practical apps for development – an app store for development, if you will.

March 1, 2011/by actualize