Adaptation technologies as drivers oF social development - Climate Change Adaptation and Development: Transforming Paradigms and Practices - page 99

Recognizing that adaptation is not merely a matter of making adjustments to
technical equipment, the understanding of technologies for adaptation can be
expanded to include the organizational and social dimensions of adaptation as
well. It has become common to distinguish three categories of technologies for
adaptation: hardware, software and orgware (Boldt et al. 2012). Hardware refers
to 'hard' technologies such as capital goods and equipment, including drought-
resistant crops and new irrigation systems. Software refers to the capacity and
processes involved in the use of technology, and covers knowledge and skills,
including aspects of awareness-raising, education and training. Thirdly, there
is the concept of orgware (Thorne et al. 2007), which relates to ownership
and institutional arrangements of the community/organization where the
technology will be used.
Several authors (Vincent et al. 2011; Klein 2011; Fida 2011) note that
prioritization and application of adaptation technologies in developing countries
have been heavily skewed towards 'hardware', with soft- and orgware receiving
comparatively little attention, and that this bias is preventing sustainable and
effective long-term adaptation. Based on new data from a large international
capacity building programme, this chapter discusses early evidence of
development implications from a focus on technologies in adaptation planning
in developing countries, and tests the above argument against concrete data
from the 25 study countries. The chapter also examines the underlying reasons
why some technologies were selected above others, including a discussion of the
criteria used in the national processes for prioritizing adaptation technologies, as
well as the degree to which the technologies identified contribute to development
priorities such as poverty reduction.
In particular, we ask:
• To what degree are hardware technologies systematically given priority over
more behaviourally oriented soft- and orgware technologies?
• To what degree and in what ways do current adaptation technologies
contribute to social development priorities?
The chapter begins with an overview of the current understanding of
the concept of 'adaptation technology' and discussions on its application
and implications. Building on this background the chapter continues with
an introduction to the Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) data and
methodology used in the analysis. Lastly, we present the results, discussing these
with reference to the above questions, and offering some concluding reflections
about technology choice for adaptation and relation to the poor.