Awareness, access and adoption of climate information services for climate change adaptation in Ethiopia

G mobile services are new in Botswana and were launched during 2008. This study focused on Botswana's users' usage pattern, awareness and adoption of 3G mobile services amongst university students. A structured questionnaire was administered and the results (n=66) indicate high (98%) saturation level in terms of usage of mobile phones compared to several countries while the 3G mobile service usage rate was found to be low (8%) in comparison to other parts of the world. While the perception of respondents towards its usage, ease of use and intention to use was highly motivating, the respondents reported that they would not be influenced by peer usage. In addition, they were found to be sensitive to price and were not willing to use 3G service if they were expensive. The study also found that security of 3G services and usefulness of the service was the dominating factors in the adoption of these services in Botswana. TV and friends were the dominating awareness media for 3G related information. The findings have future implications for the marketing strategy by the operators and security aspects of 3G mobile services in Botswana. The paper also discusses the future direction of research.

The penetration of the Internet and opportunities involving information and communication technologies (ICTs) have occurred at an escalating rate within the private sector. This has caused governments and public sector organisations around the globe to become aware of their potential and consequently utilise them; thereby triggering investments in e-services (Choudrie et al., 2004a). However, the e-services offered by governments are much more than simple automation. E-services are meant to dramatically improve all areas of government activities: from democratic participation using online voting to improving the efficiency of citizen interactions with the government by providing online government services (Barc & Cordella 2004).Other countries around the globe are undertaking various e-government measures. Similar to them, the United Kingdom (UK) government is also undertaking steps that ensure it is progressing in accordance with these countries. For this purpose, the introduction and experiences of utilising a number of government services that are offered electronically via the ‘Government Gateway’ in the UK is pertinent. These e-government services include council tax bills and accounts, housing benefits, child benefit claims, carer’s allowance, jobs online, state pension forecasts, self assessment of tax and tax credits, landweb direct, and the national blood services (Government Gateway, 2004). This is in contrast to the traditional method, whereby access to government services was undertaken by the citizens visiting ‘physical, brick foundation’ locations. Therefore this novel phenomenon offers a great amount of convenience and ease for citizens’ use (Government Gateway, 2004). However, it is not known whether the citizens of the UK are aware of such services. Further, questions are still emerging concerning whether the citizens are actually adopting the newly offered services. Therefore the initial aim of this chapter is to examine citizens’ awareness and adoption of e-government initiatives, specifically the Government Gateway in the United Kingdom. Since these services have been recently introduced, an investigation is needed to study if the demographic characteristics and home Internet access are affecting the awareness and adoption of these services. Therefore the second aim of this chapter is to examine the affect of the citizens’ demographic characteristics and home Internet access on the awareness and adoption of e-government services. To fulfill these aims, this study undertook an empirical examination of the awareness and adoption of the Government Gateway amongst UK citizens. This research offers a contribution to various stakeholders including the government agencies who could require a distinction to be drawn between the adopters and non-adopters of e-government services. That is, from the results of this research the government agencies could better understand in a simpler and detailed manner, the problem of low adoption. This could allow the formulation of a strategy that promotes awareness and diffusion. The chapter begins with a brief discussion of research undertaken on the citizens’ adoption of e-government services and a brief overview of the Government Gateway and its purpose. The findings are then presented and discussed. Finally, a conclusion to the research is provided. It is important to mention that the research methodology for this chapter is already presented and discussed in previous chapters. Therefore, this chapter does not include research methodology and only presents empirical data in the form of tables.

A systematic review of the literature on the contribution of past climate information services pilot projects in climate risk management

Enhancing national climate services: How systems thinking can accelerate locally led adaptation

This study examined awareness and adoption of electronic information resources and services by undergraduates in college of education libraries in Northeast Nigeria. The purpose of the study is to: determine the level of awareness of e-resources among undergraduate students of colleges of education in Northeast Nigeria, examine the extent of adoption of e-resources by undergraduate student of colleges of education in Northeast Nigeria and identify the challenges encounter by undergraduate student of colleges of education in Northeast Nigeria. The study employed quantitative approach in data collection. The study obtained data through questionnaires administered to students of Colleges of Education in Northeast which comprised of Federal College of Education Gombe, Gombe State Yola, Adamawa State and Potistum in Yobe State as well as State Colleges of Education, Azare, Bauchi State respectively. The population of the study consisted of the 1449. The units of analysis consisted of the students of the institutions. The sample size of the students is 338. Furthermore, data collection instruments consisted of questionnaires methods. Instruments for data collection was distributed by the researcher. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics by explaining the demographic features of the respondents. The finding of the study revealed that the level of awareness towards e-resources have helped the library greatly to improve e resources. The study shows that electronic information resources have great and positive impact on searching for information adoption of e-resources which enables users to contribute to research output as well as interact with the latest literature in research. The study also indicated that that that support and training on e-resources have helped to access information using e- resources in the library. It has shown that the despites awareness and adoption of e-resources to improve research and information needs of the users, challenges of awareness and adoption of e-resources were still prominent. Some students still face challenges of lack of awareness, poor attitudes and poor usage of electronic resources towards effective information service delivery, while others had shown a remarkable awareness towards eresources in the library. The study concluded awareness and adoption of electronic information resources in academic libraries have assisted students in recent time to embrace electronic collections to meet up with recent trends in information service provision, its recommended that there is the need for training to close the gaps on adoption of information resources and service for effective information service delivery.

Background: Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is one of the major interventions for HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the coverage is still lower than the recommended levels. The objective of this review was to systematically assess factors associated with accessibility of EID services in sub-Saharan Africa.Methods: Scientific engines were searched from library catalogues and public databases. The review included free full text articles in English published from 1996 to 2015 and fitting to the objectives of the study.Results: A total of 1,039,715 results appeared on the databases after initial searching. Of these, 48 eligible articles were identified and reviewed. From 2004 to 2014, the proportion of HIV exposed infants who received a virological test within the first 2 months of life in sub-Saharan Africa varied from 3 to 58%, far below the 80% recommended level by the World Health Organization. EID services were not available in more than 30% of health facilities in most sub-Saharan African countries. Factors associated with accessibility of EID services included parents with low formal education level, maternal unemployment, geographical relocation, religious beliefs, lack of paternal support, insufficient awareness of HIV control and prevention services, poor compliance to prevention of mother to child transmission services, lack of general knowledge of HIV transmission, stigma and discrimination, inadequate human resource for health, weak infrastructure, inadequate supplies of laboratory materials and late feedback of HIV test results.Conclusion: Availability and accessibility of EID services in sub-Saharan Africa is still low despite the investment made during the past decade. Both individual and institutional factors affect the availability and accessibility of the services. It is important that these factors are urgently addressed to improve EID services.

Smallholder farmers’ perceived motivations for the adoption and implementation of climate information services in the Atwima Nwabiagya District, Ghana

Climate adaptation services

Mental health diseases or illnesses in all human beings especially youths in the prime of their lives, are crucial and worthy of attention. This is a crucial epidemiology that should be of prime concern because mental health issues among youths appear to be increasing. This paper seeks to investigate the level of awareness, accessibility and utilization of mental health services (provided by professional counsellors) among working class youths in Lagos state. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study with a random sample of 613 comprising 464 female and 149 male young workers. A questionnaire constructed by the researcher was used to gather data from respondents. Three research questions were raised and four hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data gathered were analyzed and presented using figures, simple percentages, frequency tables and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The findings revealed that 96.2% of respondents are aware of mental health services, 64.2% have access to mental health service, however 26.4% actually utilize mental health services from professional counsellors. A significant gender difference was observed in the level of awareness and utilization of mental health services. There is also a significant difference in the level of awareness and utilization of mental health services due to age of respondents. Recommendations include the introduction of courses into junior school curriculum for early exposure of young people to signs and symptoms mental health problems. To also expose them to the importance of seeking assistance from professional counsellors who are trained to render such assistance.

Wildfires are an emerging risk in NW Europe, primarily due to increasingly conducive weather conditions resulting from climate change. This work examines the vital role of climate adaptation services to contribute to knowledge sharing and network building among professional stakeholders on a national level and within the region. Based on online survey responses from land managers/owners, forest managers/owners, fire services, and governments, we explore the intricacies of wildfire risk perception and the necessity of tailored climate and weather information for effective wildfire governance.Our research investigates how climate information services can bolster wildfire risk reduction, emphasizing the development of these services as a knowledge-sharing and network-building approach. We explore how tailored, locally relevant solutions and a thorough process of knowledge exchange and learning can build networks, ultimately delivering actionable knowledge that fosters an awareness culture among stakeholders.The work delves into the current perception and awareness of wildfire risks among professional stakeholders. We examined their risk awareness, preparedness, and responsibility perceptions, questioning whether experience with wildfires correlates with higher awareness or if stakeholders outside civil protection have lower preparedness perceptions. Additionally, we investigated the specific information stakeholders utilize for wildfire risk reduction, discerning whether weather, climate, or risk reduction information is more beneficial. This exploration includes an analysis of how this information correlates with preparedness, awareness, and responsibility perceptions and whether discrepancies exist between the use and needs of stakeholders.Preliminary result indicate that the development of a wildfire weather annd climate infomration service may contribute to wildfire governance and risk reduction in North Western Europe. Currently there is high awareness among most wildfire professionals, but that stakeholders do not feel prepared for future wildfire conditions. More than half of the respondents didn't know about the Copernicus EFFIS wildfire services, indicating that marketing and usibility of these products need to be increased. Stakeholders prioritised short-term weather forecasts and risk reduction information above other information.In conclusion, we argue for the strategic use of climate information services as a means of enhancing the governance of wildfires in NW Europe. By identifying the climate and weather information needs of professionals and examining their perceptions and awareness of wildfire risks, we aim to contribute to the development of more effective, informed strategies for wildfire prevention and management in the face of changing climatic conditions.

Climate information services can build the resilience of African farmers to address the increasing threats associated with climate change. This study used household surveys with 200 farmers and focus group discussions to identify the types of climate information services available to farming households in two selected districts (Tolon and Nanton) in the Northern Region of Ghana. The study also identified the dissemination channels and the barriers faced by farmers in their access and use of climate information services for building climate resilience in Ghanaian farming systems. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the determinants of farmers’ access to climate information services. Results show that 70% of the surveyed farmers had access to varied forms of climate information services. The most prevalent meteorological variables accessible to them were rainfall, temperature, and windstorms in the form of daily and weekly weather forecasts, with only very limited availability and use of seasonal climate forecasts. Radio, television, and advice from extension agents were reported as the major dissemination channels by study respondents. A majority of the farmers reported lack of communication devices, mistrust in weather and climate forecasts, and lack of visual representations in the forecasts as major barriers to access and use of climate information services. The results highlight the importance of timely and reliable access to climate information services in enhancing farmers’ decision-making capacities and the need for training and recruitment of more extension agents to work with farmers on linking climate information services to targeted actions on crop and land management.

Poor access and use of accurate, timely and appropriate climate information consistently to inform decision making in African countries pose a huge dilemma for sustainable development. The existing climate data observations networks coverage are sparsely distributed. Development strategies and plans are not adequately informed by climate science due to the limited reliable and useable climate data and information produced by National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and other relevant institutions. This paper describes the climate information needs of Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Tunisia, the status of the climate information systems (CISs), gaps and recommends improvement in the generation, processing and use of climate information. A study involving in-depth desk studies, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and policy dialogue was conducted. Results revealed that the CISs in the target countries have weak forecasting and alert systems for weather events and low capacities of stakeholders in climate prediction, development of climate products and information to support long-term planning, climate adaptation and resilience. The quality and appropriateness of data collected needs to be improved through networking, development and use of innovative technologies and capacity building. Institutionalizing climate data management training within climate data collection stations, creating modern real-time CISs by strengthening the capacities of national and regional institutions to use and disseminate climate information, is paramount. The capacity of the ministries involved in climate data management to deploy appropriate climate information and best practices to effectively implement climate-proof policies and practices should be enhanced to increase climate resilience and productivity.
 Key words: climate information needs, climate service, adaptation, mitigation, capacity

This joint minitrack on Mobile Value Services, Mobile Business and Mobile Cloud is focused on key aspects of the applications of mobile technology and services which can be developed using mobile technology as the platform. The future of mobile telephony is expected to rely on mobile services and the use of mobile services will be an integral part of the revenues that were expected to be generated by third generation mobile telephony. The adoption of new mobile services contradicts this proposition as it has been much slower than expected. Several reasons have been suggested for the slow uptake of mobile services, ranging from cultural differences to the business models of the actors, lacking innovation capabilities of content and service providers, and national mobile network operator strategies. If we look at some of the scenarios offered in the multitude of commercial market studies carried out each year there is now said to be an evolution of mobile telephony from voice and text communication to the use of value added services. This change is notable in three ways, which have precedents in the history of communication and media technology: (i) it changes the nature of mobile telephony; (ii) it is a challenge to the continuity of mobile telephony, making it a financially risky step to take; and (iii) we cannot yet say how and for what purposes the services will be used in the future. An estimate for mobile phones is that we will reach 6 billion by 2012 which makes this technology one of the most distributed and adopted in the history of mankind. Mobile value services are services which are designed as functional adaptations to the user context in such a way that they make user actions and activities more effective and/or more productive and/or working with less cost and/or possible to carry out with less use of resources and/or able to simplify user routines in such a way that all the previous effects will be realized. The mobile value services designs (methods and models) aim at services which will expand the limits of the possible in the structure of everyday life, which will contribute to making them everyday routines for the general population, i.e. services which will be used continually and as part of regular activities. Critical points for developing a good mobile service include ease of use, usability, service discovery, and access to services over networks and channels, personalization and context awareness in services, and interoperability of services. This joint minitrack hosts nine papers covering different aspects of services, business and technology. Mobile business, key aspects of mobile commerce such as business models, impacts of mobile information systems and regulatory issues are discussed by the three papers in the field of mobile business accepted in this minitrack. The design and adoption of mobile services, the existing enterprise applications that are available, behavioural aspects of the users and gaming as a service solution are dealt within the remaining six research articles in this minitrack. The issues at the core of this minitrack are to develop value-added content, business models and technologies, which can create key mobile features and serve as drivers for a growing market demand. It also explores the possibilities of mobile cloud platforms. Together, these nine papers present a thorough snapshot of emerging issues relevant to the field. 2012 45th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences

E-government is no longer stranger to everyone in this technological era. In Malaysia, e-government was used to enhance governmental processes and services and to shorten the time and increase efficiency. It is also known to enhance communication between government, citizens, businesses, agencies. However, it is reported that the government’s objective is not aligned with citizens’ needs in implementing e-government. After the adoption of e-government services by the Malaysian government, it is crucial to study the adoption of these services by Malaysian citizens and the factors which affect this adoption. Through Technology Acceptance Model, the present study has proposed a theoretical framework for the impact of social influence, awareness, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and behavioral intention on the actual usage of online services by Malaysian citizens. The results show that social influence and awareness of the online services are significant predictors of perceived usefulness as well as perceived ease of use. In the future, the proposed framework will be statistically validated by first collecting the data from Malaysian citizens and then analyzing the data with the use of statistical software tools. This study will provide significant value towards the Knowledge Body which pertains to e-services, especially in Malaysia.

Opportunities and barriers for using climate information services for resilient agriculture: Insights from the baseline study in Chitwan, Nepal