Rigby, Jacob M., Preist, Chris, Lutta, Alphayo, Wasonga, Oliver, Michaelides, Katerina and Singer, Michael  ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6899-2224
2025.
Mobile phones in the drylands: How technology supports community information sharing in rural Kenya.
Presented at: COMPASS '25,
Toronto, Canada,
22 - 25 July 2025.
Proceedings of the 2025 ACM SIGCAS/SIGCHI Conference on Computing and Sustainable Societies.
New York, USA:
Association for Computing Machinery,
pp. 167-183.
10.1145/3715335.3735464
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Abstract
Mobile phone usage is widespread in rural Kenya, and digital services delivering livelihood-specific information can potentially aid development and mitigate climate impacts. However, to be embraced by individuals and communities, information should be delivered in ways that integrate with current community practices. We present an interview study with 24 community "information sharers", investigating information sharing practices and technology use within rural dryland pastoralist communities in Isiolo county. This region experiences frequent droughts exacerbated by climate change, and information regarding weather, water and climate is especially relevant. We found diverse ways in which information is obtained and shared to support dryland lives and livelihoods, with smartphones playing a prominent role. Notably, WhatsApp is widely used and integrates well with existing practices. However, inconsistency in the access and provision of information can lead to inequalities within and between communities. We offer several design recommendations for information provision systems in these settings.
| Item Type: | Conference or Workshop Item (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Date Type: | Publication |
| Status: | Published |
| Schools: | Schools > Earth and Environmental Sciences |
| Publisher: | Association for Computing Machinery |
| ISBN: | 9798400714849 |
| Date of First Compliant Deposit: | 22 September 2025 |
| Date of Acceptance: | 8 May 2025 |
| Last Modified: | 29 Sep 2025 10:00 |
| URI: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/181234 |
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