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About Artificial Intelligence and climate adaptation in fragile places

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Lately I have been researching Artificial Intelligence (AI), trying to get a good understanding of its uses for climate adaptation . Specifically, I am interested to know how AI could help develop a climate action plan for a concrete location, in a fragile and conflict-affected country. I understand AI could be particularly useful in what I consider the first part of developing a climate project proposal: the overall mapping exercise, namely on the climate and environmental data analysis, mapping climate risks, stakeholders, national policies and priorities… But I am not so certain about the second part, this is, proposing concrete context-tailored solutions based on the mapping results. I decided to ask ChatGPT . It told me AI can propose tailored solutions, taking into account it would need to integrate local data, expert knowledge, and community input. Which is not an easy task for a human or for a machine. In these places data is not abundant, and very often it is also not u...
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How trying to access climate funding fosters human rights and sustainable development

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When countries decide to try accessing big-scale climate funds for their national mitigation and adaptation projects (i.e. the Adaptation Fund or the Green Climate Fund ) they are required to thoughtfully prepare, demonstrating governmental capacity in such regard, and putting in place a legal and policy framework that establishes national mitigation and adaptation priorities. Such framework will be normally preceded by climate change studies, impact analyses and official consultations - in many countries the first of its kind.  This process of choosing climate change-related priorities and building national capacity is an opportunity to consider, evaluate and mainstream different human rights and environmental issues (i.e. how land degradation impacts on livelihoods) into different levels (national, regional, local) and subjects (economy, labor, social protection) of policy making. Also, it will usually build around current national development plans, bringing a new perspective ...
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A longer-term vision from women in Afghanistan

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In November 2021 I had the chance to travel to Jalalabad (Nangarhar province), in Afghanistan. I was part of a mission where we were consulting with local NGOs and communities to explore possibilities for future resilience-building projects . The whole trip was really exciting and curious for me, because it was one of the few field missions I could undertake since I was working for the country, and it happened when the Taliban were already in power. The security situation for UN people improved - we were not a target anymore - so we could visit areas that we could not easily reach before. Jalalabad (and surroundings) was one of them. I have many memories from that trip that, as a woman, I am still processing today. I have a special one I would like to share.  My team and I went to a village where we already were supporting a local NGO, working with women. They offered big (and beautiful) goats to selected women (families) with special vulnerability needs, so they could improve thei...
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Innovation from drylands to drylands: Somalia

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When back in 2019 I first landed in Mogadishu , I remember feeling at my hometown, Almería (South-East of Spain). The smell of the sea, the air humidity, the intense sun. Unfortunately, that feeling only lasted a few seconds, as the security conditions did not allow to stay much time at the airport. In fact, the airport seemed almost owned by the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS)’s planes and helicopters. I come from a very dry part of Spain. Also, a few decades ago, it was one of the poorest regions in Europe. Nevertheless, it went through a process of agricultural development that positioned it to be where it stands today: a world leader in terms of fresh food production, competing with Israel in terms of drylands knowledge and technology. They learnt to use and re-use every drop of water, every ray of sun, and to deal with the continuous wind that made our land the only desert in Europe. And the results are amazing: this little sunny corner of Spain produces and expor...
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What this is about

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 Hello, This is Maria. With this new blog I intend to share my thoughts and experiences as a ‘climate worker’. I have been dealing with climate change issues since 2009, from different organizations, in different countries and under changing roles. I have a mixed academic background, feed by international law, social economy, and environment and sustainable development. Above all these fields, my main driver has always been the defense and materialization of basic human rights; rights that are alive and evolve, adjusting to new needs and challenges.  Maybe, as Mary Robinson pointed out, climate change is our biggest human rights challenge; David Attenborough also saw in climate change ‘the biggest threat to security that modern humans have ever faced’. I agree with both of them, and also with Ban Ki-Moon, when he said that ‘addressing climate change presents a golden opportunity to promote prosperity, security and a brighter future for all´.  Climate change, well understo...
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