The annual ICT4D Conferences have proven to be an invaluable opportunity for NGOs, private sector organizations, universities, governmental agencies and foundations to share their experience in using ICT to increase the impact of development programs and to learn from each other. In 2016, 715 individuals from 76 countries and 301 private sector and public sector and civil society explored the ways to harness the full power of digital solutions to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Our thanks to Accenture, Catholic Relief Services, Esri, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, iMerit Technology Services, Inmarsat, IS Solutions, Making All Voices Count, Mercy Corps, Microsoft, NetHope, Oxfam, Pandexio, Qualcom Wireless Reach, RTI International, SimbaNet and World Vision for making that possible.
Humanity exists at the intersection of two unprecedented ages. The first is of information and the ubiquitous computing that people have come to rely on in nearly all aspects of existence. The second is the Anthropocene - a new geological age characterized by exceptionally, exponentially negative and rapid impacts of human activities on earth's natural systems. One of the fundamental challenges of our time is to leverage the architecture of the information age to counter the Anthropocene. Much of that architecture will rest on increasingly intelligent IT that will help us to monitor, model, and manage environmental systems. This talk will highlight the rapid integration of ICT solutions for biodiversity conservation and illustrate the difficulties and promise of instrumenting natural systems.