The UN 2020 Water and Climate Change report summary - Chapter 13: Technological Innovation and Citizen Knowledge

The thirteenth chapter of the UN 2020 Water and Climate Change report highlights the importance of advancing technological innovation and citizen knowledge to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

The report points to six aspects of science, technology, and innovation that are rapidly evolving: “i) overall assessment and monitoring of water resources and hydrological processes; ii) conservation, recovery and reuse of water resources; iii) adaptation of infrastructures; iv) cost reduction in treatment and distribution processes; v) efficiency of water supply delivery and use; and vi) access to safe drinking water and sanitation.”

Some of these innovations include earth observation, advanced sensor technologies, and information and communication technologies. Earth observation from satellite-based space technologies are able to collect data on weather, climate, and the evolution of water resources around the world. Remote sensing conducted through these satellites can track larger evolutions such as land use change that traditional technology cannot observe. Advanced sensor technologies provide online and real-time monitoring of water availability and quality, which can inform smart water management. This technology can, for example, detect chemical leakages and inform adequate responses. Information and communication technologies include storing data on a shared cloud, artificial intelligence, big data, machine learning, and the internet of things, which are every-day objects connected to the internet (e.g. a water meter with sensors to detect water consumption). Such technologies improve the analysis and interpretation of existing data. The report states that the internet of things can be particularly useful in rural areas, who otherwise have limited means to collect data.

These technological innovations are notable, but they need to be better integrated in decision-making practices. Currently, there is a science-policy gap due to the limited political will and financial and human resources to process, analyze, and present how data can be understood and used by decision makers. 

While decision makers take their time to fill the science-policy gap, the public have options to empower themselves in Free Open Source Software (FOSS) and voluntary action. In countries where accessing such innovative technology is costly, FOSS is a cheap and increasingly popular technology. FOSS allows for users to crowdsource and share relevant data, which can, for example, contribute to early warning systems and validate flood forecasting models. Access to FOSS can empower even the most marginalized populations, including youth, women, the poor, and those in rural areas. Additionally, voluntary action that increases awareness also increases citizen action. There are, for example, climate change guidebooks that promote citizen participation and citizen science projects. An example of this is EarthWatch’s ‘FreshWater Watch,’ which engages the communities it serves to gather samples of freshwater for those samples to be analyzed for quality, pollution, and wildlife. 

The chapter concludes by stressing the importance of science, decision-making, and public participation in creating the most effective and informed mitigation and adaptation measures. 

Written by: Gari DeRamros, Dar Si Hmad's former intern

Summer Tech Camp 2019: Another Succesful Edition

Written by DSH intern, Ms. Salwa El Haouti

Additional to the multiple events Dar Si Hmad embraced during June of this year, the last week of the month has also witnessed the completion of the second edition of the Summer Tech Camp with satisfactory results. This educational program, which aimed at initiating underprivileged teenage girls to the digital world, also served girls with average prior knowledge on the use of the internet.

Although the main focus of this instructional program was the teaching of technology as its name indicates, the syllabi developed for the teenage beneficiaries comprised a number of other concerns all of which would certainly serve them on both the short term, as high school students, and the long term as active members in the job market and the society.

The first day of the camp was an opportunity for the beneficiaries to know one another and for the instructors to present an overall of the schedule of the week before inciting the girls to create their own classroom constitution. That session was also marked with the introduction to the technical jargon in relation to the computer, starting from the components of the hardware to the essential terminology that pertains to its software. The girls were also taught some ABC’s on surfing the web and were assigned some Web quests as a practice. Watching a Ted talk beforehand on the merits of being an IT girl and discussing it also contributed to maximizing the attention and interest of the Summer Tech Camp’s beneficiaries.

Day 2 was a continuation of the previous day’s lesson. This time, the girls were initiated to the web extensions and were offered examples on the ones they will most benefit from as young web browsers. Since all the girls are about to enter high school, it was necessary to show them how to use Google Docs and Google Slides. Above all, they were further instructed on how to detect real news and information from fake ones using internet tools, as they will be assigned to do divers researches from high school onward, all by giving the credit to the publisher of any content in order not to commit any plagiarism.

The third day of the summer tech camp started outdoors by visiting the local Amazighi museum of Agadir. This visit was an opportunity for the girls to learn and rectify many fallacious and erroneous ideas they once had on the Amazighi culture and history. The tour they had was intentionally planned to stimulate the girls’ curiosity on what one can learn in the museums and thus feel eager to visit more of them. Back in Dar Si Hmad, we guided them to websites where they could have a virtual 3D visit to internationally known museums such as the Louvre Museum in Paris. Having access to such content would definitely reinforce their overall historical and cultural knowledge, which will indeed benefit them throughout their lives. The afternoon of that session covered the right techniques of taking pictures and shooting a video, and also guided the girls to some editing platforms where they could modify and improve the quality of their pictures or make a short video film.

On the fourth day of the program, the girls demonstrated great interest and engagement with the course content. That day was consecrated to coding and Artificial Intelligence and had included many tasks for practice. The learners were then directed to some beginners’ coding websites, where they could learn and also practice the coding as they did inside the classroom. Each young girl by the end of the session has created an HTML web page, which comprised a head and a body where pictures and videos were also attached. In the last quarter of the day’s program, the focus was mainly put on the AI where the girls expressed clear astonishment at the level the technological field has reached.

The morning of day five was spent in the beach of Agadir. The girls had a blast playing competitive games with one another. They clearly needed a pause from the serious subjects they have tackled in class the previous days. The afternoon was also spared for them to make their own DIY projects where they gave vent to their creativity.

Similarly to the fourth day, the sixth one also evoked the engagement of the girls, but this time in deep discussion about themselves, how much do they know about their strengths and weaknesses and to what extent do they exploit their potential. The girls complained about the poor orientation they get in their schools about the educational prospects ahead of them, the organizing team of the camp also held a session of orientation where the girls’ questions and ambiguities were finally clarified. Moreover, scholarships’ opportunities for both high school and university students were also presented to the beneficiaries of the program, as they were also provided with tips on how to maximize their chances of getting one.

Day 7 was the last day of the camp and it was a chance for the girls to demonstrate what they had acquired throughout the week. The participants did a power point presentation on one of the various matters, which were treated during the program. The presentations were pretty inventive and originative as they tackled what they have learned from different perspectives.

Since this day marked the end of the camp, it, of course, included a number of fun activities before the participation certificates were given to the young beneficiaries. By all accounts, the week’s program described above is indeed a strong evidence on how successful the Summer Tech Camp of the year 2019 has been.

Preparation for Summer Tech Camp 2019 is Well Underway!

Written by DSH intern, Ms. Saloua El Haouti 

Our team preparing to receive summer camp beneficiaries 

After the huge success that the first edition of the Summer Tech Camp had achieved, the program’s team members have planned for another prosperous edition with the same objectives. Dar Si Hmad’s summer camp targets middle school girls from underprivileged families and aims at introducing these young teenagers to the basics of Information Technology literacy.

With that objective in mind, the Summer Tech camp team headed to Abdelali Benchkroun Middle School in Ben Sergaou, one of the least served areas in the suburbs of the city of Agadir. In this educational institution, many students are unaware of the fundamentals of using a computer. In fact, most of them don’t even have one in their homes and thus far fail to turn it on, as was noticed from the previous edition of the camp and was also demonstrated by the applicants to this new year’s program.

Jamila, one of the summer camp facilitators

Dar Si Hmad staff is entirely committed to this program, but we also have a great team dedicated solely to Summer Camp, which consists of 3 young sessions facilitators who work with us as part-time consultants; Ms. Imane Arjdal, Ms. Saloua Elhaouti, and Ms. Jamila Bendhi who are led by Dar Si Hmad employee Ms. Mazoud.

In order to fairly and accurately choose the appropriate beneficiaries for the Summer Tech Camp, the organizing team has meticulously considered the girls’ grades in language and scientific courses, their aspirations for the future, their objectives for participating in the program and, above all, their possession for a digital gadget such as a mobile phone and a computer as well as whether they have a Facebook account or make any use of the internet.

Orientation session at Abdelali Benchkroun

The priority was generally granted to the pupils with the least access to technology and the ones with the greatest motivation and desire to explore the utilities and wonders of the digital world. With the awareness of the merits, usefulness and power of mastering numerous technological tools in this era, Dar Si Hmad Summer Tech Camp’s team has prepared a comprehensive program that will enable the beneficiaries to maximize their profit of using the computer for personal and educational purposes.

In the first week of preparation, prior to the beginning of the camp, Dar Si Hmad held the opening doors for the parents of the teenage girls who were nominated to participate in this year’s Summer Tech Camp. After presenting the organization’s mission and objectives, the camp’s team members gave an overview of the project’s program to which both the beneficiaries and their guardians expressed great interest and excitement, all with sincere gratitude for creating such an enriching and free of charge opportunity for their children.

During our meetings with the parents of the students

The following days were dedicated to update the program’s syllabi. The Summer Tech Camp organizer and facilitators gathered to work on developing the different courses which tackled multiple topics from the basic digital literacy to artificial intelligence and coding. This year’s program also includes an in-depth exploration course for the personality discovery and the acknowledgment of one’s self strengths, in addition to a guidance session on the different career paths the girls can choose to follow.

Indeed, the Summer Tech Camp is meant to instruct young underprivileged girls on the basics of the various uses of technology. Nevertheless, the program of this camp also includes multiple entertaining and amusing activities to make the learning fun and to ensure that the girls’ experience in Dar Si Hmad would stay as beneficial and memorable as possible.

Ms. Mazoud, the camp manager putting the final touches