Software developers and development practitioners are being brought together by an "Apps for Climate" competition launched by the World Bank. The competition, launched at the Durban climate conference, is asking entrants to use open data to create innovative software applications that can help solve some of the development problems that climate change poses.
"The competition aims at discovering new and extraordinary ways to use open climate data," said Andrew Steer, WB Special Envoy for Climate Change. "We hope to unleash the creative energy out there which will make apps that help create solutions to weather-related disasters, risks for agriculture, food and water supplies, rising sea levels and other climate related challenges."
The apps can be created for the web, for mobile devices, for SMS, for a desktop, or a tablet. The competition includes cash prizes for the winning entries. Apps must be submitted by March 16, 2012. (www.worldbank.org/appsforclimate)