Sustainable Development Networking Programme of Bangladesh.

Author : Hakikur Rahman
Date added : 2000-09-02

Brief Project Background

Bangladesh is overwhelmingly dependent on environmental and natural resources, but the economic and societal forces at work coupled with other natural and technical factors, may have already seriously eroded the natural resource base of the country which could have serious adverse impact on output, income and employment. Efforts are being made to address these issues by the Government, donors, political parties, NGOs and other advocacy groups. The Government has been giving some attention to this sector. Among others it has approved the National Environment Management Action Plan (NEMAP) in 1996.

NEMAP was formulated through a massive consultative process involving 23 grassroots workshops, 7 regional workshops and 7 professional and expert group workshops. The Plan has prioritized 57 actions on the environmental front and the Government is in the process of creating a second-order priority list for immediate implementation. NEMAP is in line with Agenda 21 and the Rio Earth Summit of 1992.

In 1997, as a follow-up to NEMAP, the Government approved the UNDP-assisted Sustainable Environment Management Programme (SEMP). There are five sub-programmes under SEMP and the Sustainable Development Networking (SDN) falls under the Awareness and Advocacy Sub-Programme.

The main concept of sustainable development is primarily cross-sectoral and privileges the tools for integration which should ensure coherence between specific problems and networks (disaster management, flood control, water management, agricultural data, industrial pollution, urban problems, etc.) and allow the installation of techniques to govern sustainable development.

URL: http://www.sdnbd.org

Results

Introduction:

Sustainable Development Networking Programme (SDNP) emerges in Bangladesh throwing a challenge to provide networking support through IT media using the available infrastructure which could at most meet a minor demand of the contemporary period. Lack of a defined communications backbone similar to many other developing countries remains the prime factor among many existing constraints. Despite all adversities SDNP is proceeding towards the achievement of providing opportunity of sharing information and knowledge at networked environment among development partners/ agencies and government/ non-government agencies working in the field of sustainable development. In the broader aspect this includes fields like, environment awareness/motivation programme, disaster management, flood control and water management, formation of agriculture data bank, awareness building activities in tune of industrial pollution and urban problem related issues, etc.

Objectives:

Main objective of the Sustainable Development Networking Programme (SDNP) is to create an appropriate tool for achieving and facilitating exchange of information/knowledge among development partners, academia, policy makers and the civil society, both national and international, in order to design and implement unique plans for sustainable development in Bangladesh.

Methodology:

The methodology for developing the SDN is to establish a non-profit internet service provider (ISP) having a central hub in Dhaka city at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), which is the implementing agency of SDNP. Five regional nodes will be established in Chittagong, Khulna, Barisal, Sylhet, and Rajshahi, through a combination of systems that include Local Area Networking, Wide Area Networking, Microwave links, and Online VSAT networking. Subscribers to the SDN will be given access to standard Internet services as well as to a database maintained by BIDS. The subscribers will include Ministries of the Government of Bangladesh and other agencies that are implementing the various components of SEMP. These agencies may also contribute to the database, and/or through the SDN, set up websites which will disseminate information on their activities and achievements.

In addition the SDN will cater to other corporate users wishing to access the database and to standard Internet services. Such users may include national and regional press clubs, academic and research institutions, universities and public libraries.

SDN will furthermore network with all UN agencies working in Bangladesh, Earthwatch and Environment Information Networking / INFOTERRA of UNEP, The Sustainable Development Commission of UNCED, the Advisory Committee for Coordination of Information Systems (ACCIS) which helps Users gain access to UN databases and information resources, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Asia-Pacific development Information Programme of UNDP.

Lessons

Future Strategies:

SDNP Bangladesh could contribute at a larger extent towards promoting distance education utilizing the available and extended computer network and database by collaborating with the existing programmes of the Bangladesh Open University. By providing computer connectivity to the remote cyclone shelters through this project would enhance this mission. Formation of Cyber Cafe at important places providing Internet browsing facilities to academics, researchers, general mass and specially children from slum areas would certainly going to give a knowledge and information boost up at every corner of the society.

Appropriate application of information technology in the developing societies would enhance the knowledge-revolution with boosting of productivity and diminishing the gap between diversified elements of the society.

Initiating cross sectoral connectivity with all UN agencies, UNEP projects, UNCED projects, UNDP projects and other global agencies working in Bangladesh would emerge as a virtual giant of information platform envisaging human development and capacity building through IT in Bangladesh.

Project Information

Total budget in US$ : -

Contact Information

Hakikur Rahman

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