Desirable ICT Interventions for Climate Change Mitigation in Rural Arusha, Tanzania

Abstract

The world is changing due to climate change. Numerous interventions have been put in place to mitigate climate change effects. The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is among the instruments for such interventions. However, studies have indicated that the majority of ICT-based solutions lack clear focus on the type of user/community they are targeting. As a result, some of these solutions fail to meet expectations of contributing to mitigation of the climate change effects. It is on these grounds that the present study was conducted to investigate desirable ICTs interventions for climate change mitigation in rural areas. The study employed a cross-sectional research design. Data was collected from 120 randomly selected respondents drawn from four villages in the Arumeru district, Arusha, Tanzania. The collected data were analysed through descriptive and qualitative methods. Findings revealed that 57.5% of the respondents had primary education while 11.7% had not attended any formal education. Moreover, 73.3% of them often use dumbphones, unlike other ICT gadgets like smartphones, tablets and computers. While that was the case, 43.3% of the respondents were unaware of climate change. Evident from the findings is a substantial reliance on basic mobile phones, with a notable lack of awareness about climate change among study participants. It is recommended that there is a need for ICT stakeholders to consider developing mobile-based educational tools and resources relevant to rural contexts. The three factors i.e., literacy level, type of ICT used, and basic understanding of climate change are ideal aspects to be considered when one is planning for the type of ICT interventions for climate change causes, effects, and mitigations especially in rural areas.