Climate Intelligence Network to engage communities with apps
View(s):The Climate Intelligence Network, a youth-run initiative focused on data collection and people mobilisation for climate justice, launched operations earlier this month.
CIN will leverage data-driven solutions and engage communities through citizen science, reporting, education, and technology to fill critical data gaps often overlooked by traditional methods of research.
“This grassroots involvement not only democratises climate information but also amplifies the voices of those most affected, ensuring that global solutions are informed by diverse, on-the-ground perspectives,” noted Kaif Sally, who handles growth and strategy for CIN. The team from tech, to science, to development is made up of young advocates all under the age of 25.
One of CIN’s main projects is its own Climate Intelligence App – a gamified platform designed to reshape how individuals and communities engage in climate action. The application’s concept validation, market research, and prototyping have been in the works for 5 months and will be launched next year. “It leverages technology and storytelling to inspire meaningful contributions, offering users an innovative way to be part of the global movement for climate solutions,” stated Yuneth Wijeynayaka, Director App Development. He held that the app’s output, by design, will also be used by governments, activists, policy makers, and even business to better inform their decisions and actions.
The other arm of the Network’s initiatives is focused on its training and empowerment of people. “The Network” will empower individual data collection, on-ground story sharing and facilitate information sharing and collaborations between various stakeholders in the climate space. “We are focusing on ensuring we have representation from each District in the country and when we expand regionally, will look at having one network member, at least, close to each high climate-risk or biodiversity rich area.”
CIN is in the process of an initiative that is building from the concept of beach cleanups. The “Track the Trash” initiative enhances beach cleanups by adding waste tracing and auditing to raise awareness about pollution.
“While beach cleanups are a great way to engage the community, we feel that the impact they have could be greater,” said Chathurya Wanniarachchi, Lead of Advocacy at CIN. After a cleanup, volunteers participate in interactive quizzes and polls on Instagram to share data on the type, source, and amount of waste collected. Participants also take creative photos of unusual trash, tagging the organisation on Instagram with #trackthetrash to spread awareness. This aims to highlight the severity of pollution while engaging the public in environmental action.
CIN is also set to launch a nationwide project called “Sounds of Nature” this October which will engage Lankans in collecting “bioacoustics” samples to help scientists monitor climate change and ecosystem health. Participants will record audio clips of wildlife from designated areas, submit photos or videos of the location, and provide geolocation data. Points are awarded based on the rarity of the species and location, with extra incentives for high-quality, creative submissions from home gardens. A leaderboard will track scores, and top participants will compete for a grand prize after 1.5 months. The project will culminate in a public map featuring key recordings and photos.
While also engaging actively on social media through interactive modes of climate communications that are experiential, the team at CIN is hoping to strengthen the team’s work enough to expand it regionally by 2026.
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