Editing IPCC:AR6/WGII/Chapter-6 (section)

==== 6.2.4.3 Information and Communication Technology ====

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Information and communication technology (ICT) comprises the integrated networks, systems and components enabling the transmission, receipt, capture, storage and manipulation of information by users on and across electronic devices (Fu, Horrocks and Winne, 2016). ICT infrastructure faces a number of climate risks. Increased frequency of coastal, fluvial or pluvial flooding will damage key ICT assets such as cables, masts, pylons, data centres, telephone exchanges, base stations or switching centres (Fu, Horrocks and Winne, 2016). This leads to loss of voice communications, inability to process financial transactions and interruption to control and clock synchronisation signals. Insufficient information about the location and nature of many ICT assets limits detailed quantitative assessment of climate change risks.

Fixed-line ICT networks that sprawl over large areas are especially susceptible to increases in the frequency or intensity of storms that would increase the risk of wind, ice and snow damage to overhead cables and damage from wind-blown debris. More intense or longer droughts and heatwaves can cause ground shrinkage and damage underground ICT infrastructure (Fu, Horrocks and Winne, 2016). In mountain and northern permafrost regions, communications and other infrastructure networks are subject to subsidence because of warming of ice-rich permafrost (Shiklomanov et al., 2017; Li et al., 2016; Melvin et al., 2017).

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