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m:lab By Patrick Munyi / October 3, 2011

Apps4Africa: Climate Challenge

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The 2011 Apps4Africa: Climate Challenge builds on the success of the 2010 Apps4Africa: Civic Challenge in which civil society leaders challenged software developers to find innovative technological solutions to everyday problems on issues ranging from transparency and governance to health and education. The 2011 competition begins in Western and Central Africa in September, with Eastern and Southern Africa to follow. Winners will receive prizes, including cash awards. Challenge partners, including TED Conferences and Indigo Trust, may contribute technical assistance, prizes, and follow-on support for the new applications created by this competition.

Apps4Africa began in late 2009 when several individuals and companies joined together to propose a competition that would reward local innovators for their ideas and projects. The 2010 challenge winners received prize money, media attention,and a special congratulatory message from Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton. With coordination by Uganda software development firm Appfrica International, Apps4Africa brings civil society, NGOs, academia, and private sector organizations together with African technology innovators to develop applications that address local climate change adaptation challenges. In doing so, we seek to support the development of civil society and private-sector networks; and highlight African solutions to local climate change challenges.

The Climate Challenge centers around several strategic themes that coincide with policy decisions that will be debated and decided upon by world leaders at the 17th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17) conference in Durban, South Africa. The benefit of this is that it increases the chance that competition participants will find very eager decision makers eager to try, recommend, and otherwise support the applications and projects developed for the competition.

CONTEST DATES AND INFO

West/Central Africa (Begins Oct 1, 2011 – Ends Nov 30, 2011)

Eastern Africa (Begins Oct 20, 2011 – Ends Dec 20, 2011)

Southern Africa (Begins Feb 1, 2012 – Ends Mar 30, 2012)

Categories for Entry - Agriculture (Distribution), Early Warning and/or Disaster Preparedness, Resource Management, Forestry/Deforestation, Transportation/Traffic/Emissions, Food Security, Livestock, Health and Sanitation.

Countries Hosting Regional Outreach Events - Mali, Senegal, Nigeria, DRC, Ghana, (West Africa) Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, (East Africa) South Africa, Botswana, Madagascar and Angola (Southern Africa)

CONTACT

Contact the contest coordinator or visit us on the web at http://apps4africa.org

Author : Patrick Munyi