DIGITAL
ENVIRONMENT – OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Lakshmi Narayana
N
Mentor, Geo
Rehabilitation Centre, Hyderabad.
ABSTRACT
Having resources and its
distribution to the targeted groups has to be seen as two faces of the same
coin. Poor connectivity and access for data and information on resources are
the major barriers in reaching the people both quantitatively and
qualitatively. Having data on paper or analog mode do face several limitations
in its planning, designing and sharing to larger population. The processes of
digitalization will convert the information from paper to digital mode which
will be effective in storing, retrieving and dissemination to the stakeholders
for decision making, service delivery and utilization. The mission of Digital
India and its nine pillars supports for better connectivity for all at any
place. The use of e-technologies is significant in domains like Mapping,
Health, Education and Business. The processes of digitalization and developing
need based service delivery systems in reaching the people with products or
services do suffer with challenges and on the other side opens up several
opportunities to support for inclusive, healthy, sustainable and quality
environments with better participation, accountability, responsibility and
transparency. The expected outputs and
impact are significant in improving the wellness of the people and Nation. The
suggested partnership of Government, Private / Corporate and CSOs working on the
model of design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation will work with
better ownership of the people. The
suggested strategies, interventions and models are simple, flexible,
replicable, scalable and sustainable matching to the dynamics of the given
environment.
Key Words: Digitization,
Digitalization, Environment, Natural Resources, Development, Challenges, Opportunities, Sustainability, Access, Inclusion.
Statement of the Study
Poor connectivity and access
for data and information limits the stakeholders for effectiveness in the processes
of development with limited sustainability and poor quality which further
affects the health and wealth of the People and Nation.
Conclusions
The study has got top
priority as Digitalization with added e-technologies has brought significant
change and impact among the People, Communities and Nation. Some of the key
conclusions emerged include:
Ø Poor connectivity and access for data and
information limits the stakeholders for effectiveness in the process of
development.
Ø The nature has given resources in the form
of Land, Water, Fire, Air, and Space which are well known as Panchatatva or
Panchabhuta.
Ø The growth and development of the people
or the Nation should cover: Social, Economical and Environmental for achieving
sustainability and quality for wellness.
Ø Deviation from People Oriented Development
results for exploitation of resources with low priority for the people and
environment.
Ø Poor access for the information about
resources in desired format is the major barrier in planning the strategies for
need based development.
Ø Digital India is the National Mission which
came up with nine pillars which are expected to connect the people with
e-technologies which will result for better outputs in the form of: PART
(participation, Accountability, Responsibility & Transparency); Growth
& Development; Sustainability with Quality; and improved Quality of Life (QOL)
in an inclusive community and environment.
Ø Use of E-technologies in the key areas of
mapping, health, education and business are expected to improve PART (Participation,
Accountability, Responsibility & Transparency); Development, and its
Sustainability and Quality.
Ø The challenges in moving forward with the
use of e-technologies are many and some of them include: Limited Access for Information; Poor
Connectivity; Barriers; Business Oriented Development; Top Down Approaches;
Delay & Corruption; Production & Wastage; dependency on Imported Goods;
Unemployment – Livelihoods; poor Production & Productivity; Mismatched
Mapping; poor Health Care; poor QOE – Privatization; Dumping – Pollution; and Hazards
& Disasters.
Ø The cause and consequences of all such challenges
affects the inclusion of people with isolation, development, its sustainability
& quality and finally their quality of life (QOL).
Ø The opportunities are many and some of
them include: Information – 3As;
Dynamic connectivity; Universal Design – DIME; People oriented Development; Bottom
up Approaches; Transparency – PART; Products – ecofriendly; Self sufficiency; better
Employment – Microentrepreneurship; higher Productivity; Community Mapping; Health
Care – 3As; need based & LBE; Recycling – safer Dumping; and Community Preparedness
(DRR).
Ø All the opportunities are expected to
result for effective use of nine pillars of Digital India, Inclusion of all,
development of Healthy Environments and achieving Sustainable Development with
improved Quality of Life (QOL) of the People as well as the Nation.
Ø The partnership of Government, Private and
CSOs (GPC) is expected to make the resources or products or services to the people
with better availability, accessibility, and affordability (3As) on the concept
of Design, Implementation, Monitoring & Evaluation (DIME) with better
Participation, Accountability, Responsibility (Responsive) & Transparency
which finally improves their quality of life (QOL) in an inclusive and empowered
Community / Environment.
Ø This partnership model of GPC has been
tested and deployed at several CSOs working on various issues of the People and
Communities with better outputs and impact
Ø More and more technologies need to be
added for making them more accessible with better availability and
affordability.
Ø The strategies and models are simple,
flexible, replicable, scalable and sustainable matching to the dynamics of the
given environment.
Recommendations
E-Technologies should be
more friendly, accessible and affordable in achieving the developmental Mission
and recommendations made includes:
- To
support the targeted groups for E-Mapping, E-Education; E-Health Care and
E-Business for development with quality and sustainability.
- To
conduct more and more Trainings, Workshops and Seminars on the need of
E-Education and allied Domains.
- To
encourage Students and Youth to take up Research Studies with Community
Initiatives with innovation and creativity.
- To
encourage Educational and other Training Institutes for imparting need based
digital skills for the students as well as other learners either on
conventional mode or distance / online mode.
To
encourage CSOs to work with Government and Private / Corporate (GPC) on
Partnership basis on mode of DIME.
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