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Title
Please provide a name for your action learning plan.
Bridging Indigenous Information Systems with Digital Technology in the Amazon
Challenge statement
Challenge type: If you are working on multiple challenges, please indicate if this is your "big bet" or "exploratory" challenge.
Please note: we ask you to only submit a maximum of 3 challenges - 1x Big Bet, 2x Exploratory. Each challenge must be submitted individually.
EXPLORATORY
Challenge statement: What is your challenge? (Please answer in specific terms: "Our challenge is that...”.)
Digital technology can help close gaps in climate action and improve adaptation efforts for vulnerable groups. However, mere access to and use of this technology does not directly impact the lives of vulnerable groups, such as indigenous peoples. Our challenge is to understand whether and under what conditions improved access to information and knowledge facilitated by ICTs can enhance the capabilities of indigenous peoples in the Amazon to better achieve adaptation, forest preservation, and sustainable livelihoods.
We will address this issue collaboratively with other stakeholders to map technology implemented in indigenous communities, the information and knowledge that this technology has enabled for these communities, the role of key factors in the implementation of ICTs (such as existing indigenous information systems, types of intermediary organizations, the technology appropriation process, among others) and their impact on empowerment of indigenous communities.
Background: What is the history of your challenge? What is causing or driving it? Who is involved? How does the current situation look like? What undesired effects does it produce?
In Bolivia, the Amazon—the largest tropical rainforest in the world—includes most of the country's 36 indigenous peoples and is a prioritized region for climate action by the government, NGOs, and other stakeholders. Deforestation is affecting the natural ecosystem and indigenous peoples' livelihoods, leading to increased migration to cities and heightened vulnerabilities.
ICTs have immense potential to gather evidence to improve decision-making, especially for vulnerable groups like indigenous peoples. Given the substantial investment planned for the Amazon in the coming years, particularly under the new Bolivia GEF project, it is crucial to understand the conditions under which ICTs can enhance the capabilities of indigenous peoples to preserve their forests and adapt their livelihoods to the climate crisis. This initiative aims to provide valuable insights for a national project and diverse stakeholders to better manage impacts.
Quantitative evidence: What (official) data sources do you have on this challenge that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge? You can add text, a link, or a picture.
The Amazon basin covers a significant portion of our national territory, encompassing approximately 50 million hectares of tropical forest. In its entirety, this basin accounts for around 75 million hectares of rich biodiversity. However, in recent years, Bolivia has ranked among the top countries with the highest deforestation rates. According to the World Wildlife Fund, deforestation in the Amazon rainforest could bring the region’s ecosystem to a point of no return, potentially ceasing to function as a tropical rainforest within the next 20 years. Given this challenge, there is an urgent need to accelerate climate action and leverage digital technology as a driver. Understanding the conditions under which these technologies can be impactful is crucial.
Qualitative evidence: What weak signals have you recently spotted that characterizes its urgency? Please provide qualitative information that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge. You can add text, a link, or a picture.
Most of the indigenous peoples in Bolivia live in the Amazon region. Deforestation is affecting their main livelihoods, leading to increased migration to cities and heightened vulnerabilities. Institutions are working to enhance the capabilities of indigenous peoples to preserve the forest and adapt to the climate crisis, and the use of ICTs is becoming more common, though with varying levels of appropriation and impact. Research on the conditions that favor such appropriation is still lacking.
Value proposition: What added value or unique value proposition is your Accelerator Lab bringing to solving this challenge? Why is it your Lab that needs to work on this challenge and not other actors within UNDP, other stakeholders in the country respectively? Why is it worth investing resources to this challenge?
Understanding the conditions under which technology can drive positive changes for indigenous peoples in the Amazon to preserve the forest and adapt to climate crisis will help stakeholders supporting climate action to enhance their impacts
Short “tweet” summary: We would like to tweet what you are working on, can you summarize your challenge in a maximum of 280 characters?
Discover the key factors that make information and knowledge crucial for empowering indigenous peoples.
Partners
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the partner:
Internet Bolivia Foundation
What sector does our partner belong to?
Civil Society
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
Internet Bolivia Foundation has conducted research on internet use and its benefits in various regions, including the Amazon. The information they have gathered will be crucial for identifying and mapping the technologies implemented with indigenous peoples in the Amazon, and for reflecting on their impact on both their lives and forest preservation
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
Yes
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the partner:
Museum of Natural History of Bolivia
What sector does our partner belong to?
Government (&related)
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
One hypothesis regarding the impact of technology on indigenous peoples is the relationship between technologies and existing indigenous information systems, the role of intermediary organizations, and the technology appropriation process. In this context, the museum, with its experts in anthropology, will aid in understanding indigenous information systems an perspectives
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
Yes
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the partner:
FILAC
What sector does our partner belong to?
Civil Society
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
FILAC, the Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples, is working in Bolivia to empower indigenous communities. They are collaborating closely with indigenous communities in the Amazon
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
Yes
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the partner:
The Electronic Government and ICT Agency (AGETIC)
What sector does our partner belong to?
Government (&related)
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
The National Electronic Government and ICT Agency has information on strategies and programs for communities. They will provide information and incorporate insights into their strategies
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
Yes
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the partner:
Amazon Conservation
What sector does our partner belong to?
Civil Society
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
Amazon Conservation has been working in the Amazon for a long time. They will assist with the systematization of learnings regarding the impacts of accessing knowledge and information on indigenous peoples through technology
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
Yes
Learning questions
Learning question: What is your learning question for this challenge? What do you need to know or understand to work on your challenge statement?
Under which conditions have the new knowledge and information obtained through ICT had positive impacts on indigenous communities
To what stage(s) in the learning cycle does your learning question relate?
Explore
Usage of methods: Relating to your choice above, how will you use your methods & tools for this learning question? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
We will use solutions mapping to identify indigenous local information systems and their relationships with ICT solutions (if any). Through ethnography and facilitation, we will investigate the conditions under which ICTs were integrated into indigenous information systems. Finally, we will develop micro-narratives to share knowledge and provide feedback to the communities, enabling them to understand, seek, adapt, or develop technology that can be useful for them
Existing data gaps: Relating to your choice above, what existing gaps in data or information do these new sources of data addressing? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
On one hand, there is a lack of data on indigenous information systems and their relationship with the appropriation process of ICT. On the other hand, there is an information gap regarding the role of intermediary institutions in the adoption of ICTs.
Closing
Early leads to grow: Think about the possible grow phase for this challenge - who might benefit from your work on this challenge or who might be the champions in your country that you should inform or collaborate with early on to help you grow this challenge?
Indigenous communities and stakeholders with projects in the Amazon will benefit from the results of this challenge. Understanding the conditions under which information and knowledge through ICTs can enhance lives and promote forest conservation will be key to improve and accelerate impacts
END OF ACTION LEARNING PLAN: Thank you! The form saves automatically and your submission has been recorded. You may now exit this window.
13Climate action
15Life on land
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