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Sustainable Development Networking Programme (SDNP)
The Sustainable Development Networking Program (SDNP) is
a global catalytic initiative launched by the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) in response to Agenda 21, which
articulated the need for improved information dissemination to
support sustainable development. The program is geared towards
facilitating communication between users and suppliers of
sustainable development information in developing countries.
The Internet and the widespread use of IT tools provide
Developing Countries (DCs) with a golden opportunity not only to
promote Sustainable Development in a systematic manner but also
to put forward themselves well into the 21st century. However,
it is now evident that this process will not occur by itself or
in an automatic manner.
In the recent years the impact of the Internet in DCs has been
already substantial. Multiple ongoing initiatives funded by
bi-lateral and multi-lateral organizations promoting the
expansion of the Internet in DCs and the extensive use of IT on
productive capacities and governance of the State. Finally, the
private sector has entered into the picture and is investing in
many DCs primarily on infrastructure and networking technologies
- whereas so far most governments have shied away from this.
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.
To assist in the establishment of the SDN, UNDP has provided
Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) with a
starter kit comprising computer hardware and software, key
databases management and training tools, decision support tools,
and other resources which will meet individual needs and ensure
long-term compatibility with SDNs operating in other developing
countries.
At the national context, SDNP is a one of the 26 components of
the Sustainable Environment Management Programme (SEMP). SEMP is
among one of the activity of the National Environment Management
Action Plan (NEMAP) which has been under taken by the Bangladesh
Government in 1996. NEMAP is a follow up of Rio Earth Summit
1992.
The Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) is the
implementing agency for two of the components of SEMP - The
Policy Analysis Studies which falls under the Policy and
Institutions Sub-Program, and the Sustainable Development
Network (SDN) falls under the Awareness and Advocacy
Sub-Program.
One of the strategies for promoting Awareness and Advocacy is
enabling easy access to information and knowledge. To
effectively implement such a strategy, the Sustainable
Development Network (SDN) aims to capitalize on the revolution
in electronic and data communications and provide a new set of
tools to achieve sustainable human development through a sharing
of vital information, experience and expertise both within the
country and globally.
The objective of the Sustainable Development Network Project
(SDNP) is to create an appropriate tool - the SDN - for
achieving and facilitating exchange of information and knowledge
among development partners, academia, policy makers and the
civil society, at local, national and international level, in
order to design and implement unique plans for sustainable
development in Bangladesh.
The methodology for achieving the aims of SDNP in a sustainable
way, is to consider a model where SDNP would be a not-for-profit
Internet service provider (ISP) and Database management service
provider with a central hub in Dhaka city at the BIDS and
several regional nodes in cities such as Barisal, Chittagong,
Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi and Sylhet, have one or more
interlinked web sites and data links to be used as the portal
for information exchange. Furthermore, the SDNP is also
providing services to other corporate users wishing to access
its databases and standard Internet services. Such users include
national and regional press clubs, academic and research
institutions, public libraries and individuals. The target is to
provide the Database and Internet services to the remotest
communities of the country.
Objectives:
-
Improved
participation of Stakeholders
-
Enhancement of
awareness and skill in online networking
-
Institutionalize
long term sustainability plan.
Project Area / Target Audience:
-
Whole geographical
region of Bangladesh and any development related affairs
related to Bangladesh
-
Policy makers
-
Line ministries
-
Development
partners
-
community leaders,
civil society, official donor communities, local government
officials, municipal offices
-
non-government
organizations, private sectors, investors, professional
bodies, chambers
-
academics and
academic institutes, press clubs, medical institutes, public
libraries, and individuals.
Project
Activities (Interventions)
Project Outputs
-
Infrastructure development of
26 SIAs and non-SIAs
-
Internet connectivity to 26
SIAs and non-SIAs
-
Web site development of
26 SEMP components and others
-
Observance of national and
international days
-
Establishment of 5 Public
Access Centres (PACs) in Dhaka
-
Training to 26 SIAs and non-SIAs
-
Establishment of five-six
regional nodes and several sub-nodes
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Collaborational programme on
sustainable development issues
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School programme in 200 schools
-
Establishment of VSAT link to
central node
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Relational database development
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Establishment of MDG portal in
Bangla
-
Establishment of tele-medicine
centres
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Establishment of multi-purpose
community information centres
-
Establishment of Internet
Exchange
-
E-forms in the Ministry of
Environment and Forest
-
Pipeline pilots as recommended
by the UNDP, MoEF and the Steering Committee
-
Establishment of monitoring and
evaluation tools
Major
Achievements so far
SDNP Success Stories
Project Exit
Strategy (Sustainability Plan)
Contact Info:
Contact Person: Hakikur
Rahman
Project Coordinator
Address: E-17 Agargaon, Sher-E-Bangla Nagar,
G.P.O. Box: 3854, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh
Email: info@sdnbd.org
Phone: 880-2-8126204
Fax: 880-2-9118543
Web: www.sdnbd.org
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