The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) predicted a rise in issue-focused constituencies—like those concerned about climate change—over traditional political partisanship back in 2013. Their optimistic view is that open government leads to greater access to data, which in turn makes government more responsive to the needs of the people.
What then are the barriers to greater international cooperation between governments, institutions, and the people most affected by climate change? One of the answers is bureaucracy. Indeed, the IFLA aspires to be, “less bureaucratic, inflexible and resistant to change” in their 2018 Global Vision Report.
A related hurdle at the international level is intellectual property law. Climate change threatens the loss of culturally important collections due to sea-level rise, weather events, fire, and political disruption. One of the basic methods of preservation, copying, is often restricted by national and international intellectual property restrictions and copyright law. Yet, “no countries have laws which allow heritage institutions to work on a truly global scale to form preservation networks” (IFLA, 2020). They urge members of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), an agency of the UN, to support copyright laws which enable preservation at a global scale.
The IFLA also works to help recognize and preserve these collections through their Risk Register. Whether they are local or international, institutions can register at-risk collections with IFLA to, “equip practitioners with tools to manage risk, while cataloguing critical information” (IFLA, n.d.). It also helps share information across institutions and, ideally, bring network support and resources to a critical problem.
Another significant barrier is sexism. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by climate change. The UN, for instance, estimates they make up 80% of climate refugees. Women in less industrialized countries are often responsible for collecting water, food, and fuel and must travel further when these needs cannot be met locally (UN, 2021). These effects are exacerbated by persistent gender inequality and lack of political power.
References
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). (n.d.). About the IFLA risk register. https://www.ifla.org/about-the-ifla-risk-register/
IFLA. (2013 August). Riding the waves or caught in the tide? Insights from the IFLA trend report. https://trends.ifla.org/insights-document
IFLA. (2018 March). Global vision report summary: Top 10 highlights and opportunities. https://repository.ifla.org/handle/123456789/296
IFLA. (2020 April 26). Heritage cannot wait in the face of climate change. https://www.ifla.org/news/heritage-cannot-wait-in-the-face-of-climate-change-ifla-welcomes-signatures-to-open-letter-on-world-ip-day/
United Nations (UN). (2021 November 9). Women bear the brunt of the climate crisis, COP26 highlights. UN News. https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/11/1105322