COVID-19, missed climate opportunities and widening digital divide
THE coronavirus pandemic brought with it untold suffering throughout the world and has become the new normal as movement remains restricted in an attempt to contain the spread of the pandemic. As its impact is felt, many countries missed the opportunity to narrow the digital divide and fight climate change.
The pandemic disarmed everyone, stalled progress, affected all deadlines and turned planning upside down. However, this was a missed opportunity to bridge the digital divide, enhance and accelerate livelihoods recovery. As rhetoric became the new normal, focus and attention were shifted from ongoing efforts to support livelihoods and adapt.
Climate recoveries were sidelined, while ongoing efforts to fight it were left for another day.
While assumptions were allowed to override common sense, foresight and vision, quite a number of countries chose to invest in rhetoric as opposed to reality.
The discourse of online learning, online planning, conferencing, zooming and online working, in the comfort of our homes became topical. As the outdoors were declared no-go areas, climate change adaptations suffered, lowcarbon pathways got affected, emission targets got disrupted, so were the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and pre-defined time-lines. In this regard, would it be agenda 2030, 2050 or 2060, nobody knows when and how.
Was this an opportunity for companies to bypass the emission targets, benchmarks and pollute more, as these were considered an essential sector, mining and manufacturing had to go on?
Agricultural production was to be maximised, including combatting agricultural COVID-19 market-related losses. Some vital research opportunities were left incomplete or abandoned, paving the way for speculations and assumptions.
These were supposed to be ongoing and lifelong.
Climate adaptation and mitigation programmes targeting the poor, the marginalised and vulnerable appeared forgotten and less essential.
Opportunities for meaningful climate interventions were lost as the pandemic defined new costs of simple green technologies designed to strengthen human preparedness and transform human livelihoods.
The digital divide got widened as one and the most essential component of climate engagement and recovery, the mobile phone, whether smart or not, became more expensive and out of reach.
This meant target situations, audiences and stakeholders could not interact, identify climate recovery opportunities and diversify.
As the pandemic is still in the background but now showing signs of thawing, it means climate change adaptation programmes can now resume as these are highly outdoor rather than indoor specific.
Digital divide, which is about glaring and ever-widening information communication technology (ICT) inequalities and access to resources in terms of socio-economic situations between the vulnerable marginal communities and the rich continues to widen, it sidelines the majority of stakeholders.
The gender divide in terms of access to ICTs need to be narrowed so that women realise their full potential in nation-building.
The target audiences and concerned communities will be there to bear the cost of lack of human preparedness and climate shocks for quite some time.
Although the coronavirus is quite menacing, this is the opportunity for developing countries to close the digital gaps and empower the marginalised and vulnerable communities, increase their interaction with ICTs, fight poverty and enhance resilience.
Opportunities to fight the pandemic as a health and humanitarian crises were sadly missed as some climate injustices may have continued unfolding in the background, with or without concerned governments’ approval.
These include pollution-related incidents, land degradations, all forms of e-waste, wildlife losses, ecosystemic disruptions and burning of bushes, among others. Opportunities to recover and save the abused planet were regrettably missed.
If the online learning opportunities and services that were highly publicised were done in good faith, sincerely and efficiently, the world could be somewhere by now.
The problem is that nations have taught themselves the art of believing in their own lies.
As people talk of online opportunities, they normally do not factor in issues of cost effectiveness, subsidised rates, access to data bundles, inherent weak connectivity associated with developing countries, location, training and affordability.
Mobile phone service providers in developing countries rip-off subscribers, hence we cannot talk of effective access to online services which are synonymous with leaving out, sidelining and neglecting appropriate beneficiaries.
Nowhere in the world did we witness the establishment of low-cost goods and services due to the coronavirus outbreak.
To some service providers this became an opportunity to maximise profits, dupe unsuspecting clients, confuse and rip them off. Nobody took into account the existence of disadvantaged communities and their concerns, it was business, falsehoods, misinformation and glib as usual.
Even institutions which pride themselves as champions of online learning, couldn’t provide data to their employees and worse still students and stakeholders were supposed to access online services on their own. Not everything that was imagined and said was done.
The whole exercise lacked cohesion, motivation and sincerity. The pandemic gave birth to a daring new breed of liars.
As the pandemic shows signs of abating, governments and service providers are getting sober and reality is dawning. Some would wish this situation continues forever in order to keep on using the COVID-19 situation as an excuse. In this regard, a new impetus has been unearthed, the digital divide requires attention more than ever before.
The mobile phone, whether smart or not remains the most vital tool to connectivity, including for those who have never been online.
No more fantasies as the environment requires attention and nurturing. ICT tools have become integral components for livelihood recoveries, human interactions, information sharing, reaching out and disaster preparedness.
Multiple crises manifested, leading to massive losses, missed opportunities and wasted time. The obligation to combat climate change needs to be redefined in order to build sustainable communities in the framework of green revolution.
Peter Makwanya is a climate change communicator. He writes in his personal capacity and can be accessed on: petrovmoyt@gmail.com.