Technology for a Greener World

Wireless sensor networks, a new, low-cost technology that requires low power and is not dependent on any existing network, could become a key tool for environmental monitoring in developing regions. The vast range of sensors that can be connected to the devices makes them flexible for monitoring air and water quality and soil moisture.

A two-week ICTP activity in Trieste, titled Workshop on Applications of Wireless Sensor Networks for Environmental Monitoring in Developing Countries, which was followed by a Conference on Wireless Sensors Technologies for Environmental Monitoring, provided training for academic and research institutions on the subject, as a way to develop sustainable human capacity in developing countries.

The activity ran from 28 February to 11 March. Directors of the workshop included Mario Maniewicz of the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) Telecommunication Development Bureau, and Sandro M. Radicella, head of ICTP's Aeronomy and Radiopropagation Laboratory.

For the latter event, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Secretary-General Hamadoun I. Touré provided an opening speech on the role of ITU in a world of ubiquitous connectivity. "The ultimate society is a knowledge society, where information is accessed, used, created and shared," said Touré, explaining that broadband technology will enable the knowledge society to meet the Millennium Development Goals, and that advanced mobile technology will help 'internet connectivity' become 'ubiquitous connectivity'.

Details from the workshops can be found here.