e-governance for conservation

IndianWildlifeClub.com

E-governance for Conservation in

India

Susan Sharma, PhD



India

Conservation involves protecting the forests of the country along with the flora and fauna as forests are the custodians of water sources, clean air and irreplaceable natural resources.

The paper proposes a model where the synergies of a complex e-governance system generate livelihood options for the rural unemployed in and around the forests. These options are by way of entrepreneurship opportunities and not by way of government jobs.



India

Need to expand the scope of governance to

include the participation of all the citizens

whose lives are linked to the forests.

The road map to e-governance for

conservation (of our natural resources) is

thus a combination of e-governance and e-

democracy.



India

Conservation

Jal (Water)

Jungle( Forest)

Janwar(Animals)

Jan (People)

Jameen ( Land)

Services



India

Ministry of

Environment

and Forests

Forest resources

Forest Dwellers

Fringe Villagers

Tour Operators

Forest Staff

Services

Scienti

fic

Data

GIS

Mapping Poaching

Issues

Audit

Revenue

NGOs,

Social

Entrepr

eneurs

Infrastr

ucture

Land

records

Entrepren

eurship/Li

velihood

Forest

Resources

Wildlif

e

Census

Legal

Issues

Educatio

n



India We are proposing a complex system of bundled services

involving personalized portals for each of the major stakeholders.

Interactions of the stakeholders with the various agencies involved in conservation apart from MOEF have the potential of creating employment within the complex system, thereby enriching it as well as taking it forward.

The e-governance system proposed has within itself the seeds for commercializing the knowledge base.

Most of the employment created, however will not be planned government jobs but entrepreneurial in nature, born out of the synergy of rural information systems.



India Name Entrepreneurship potential

Gyandoot, 2000 User fees are charged for the services

provided by rural youth.

ITC’s E-Choupal ITC charges transaction fee and pays

commission to kiosk owners for sales.

Amul’s Dairy portal Electronic fat testing machines enable

instant valuation of milk and instant

payment to the farmer.

TARAhaat, 2000 TV entertainment, and other offline

services help generate a range of

revenue streams



India

Name Entrepreneurship potential

e- Shringala Kiosks owned and operated by

entrepreneurs .

e-Seva Rural kiosks in West Godavari District

are run by women self help groups.

“Parrys Corners” Sugar cane growers and suppliers to

EID Parry encouraged to become

entrepreneurs .



India

Literacy is not a major constraint in

implementing IT related projects. The rural

folks are quick to adopt any new developments.

The government only needs to be a facilitator

and not the promoter.

It is not viable to have stand-alone e-

governance projects. It makes sense to bundle

the same with community development,

commerce and education.



India

In the conservation model we propose, there will be five “personalized internet portals” for Forest Department, Forest Resources, Tour operators, Forest dwellers and Fringe Villages.

Each of these portals will have integrated service bundles of both public administrations and enterprises connected to the MOEF.

The integrated service bundles are provided after the process integration of the involved service suppliers is achieved with suitable technical interventions.



India

Tourism

Revenue

Bio-diversity

Research

Government

Finances

Staff welfare fund

Media

Wildlife

Law

Training/E

ducation

NGOs/Social

Entrepreneurs

Recruitment

Forest Department

Insurgency in

Parks Politics

Villagers



India

Tourism

Revenue

Bio-diversity

Research

Government

Finances

Livelihood options

Media

Wildlife

Law

Training/Ed

ucation

NGOs/Social

Entrepreneurs

Fringe villages

Insurgency in

Parks

Recruitment

Politics

Forest

Department



India

E-governance projects mature in four phases,

Information, Interaction. Transaction and

Transformation.

This framework revolves around the citizen,

NGOs on the one side and the Central

Government, State Government and Local

Government on the other side.

The aim of any e-governance project must be the

fourth phase, that is, Transformation.



India

Information, Communication Technologies (ICT) involved in any e-governance project carries with it enormous potential for transforming poor people’s lives (Gudgeon, 2001) connecting them to markets, improving their access to government services, and better enabling them to express their voice in decisions that affect their lives. The result of this transformation is creation of livelihood opportunities for entrepreneurs. The rise and rise of entrepreneurship has paved the way for growth in countries ranging from Taiwan to United States of America.



India

E-governance projects need to employ a large number of personnel in handholding which must continue till the projects are self sustaining. The aim of introducing e-governance is not to reduce manpower but to achieve efficiency and transparency.

E-government can be effective only if internet is widely used. Otherwise manipulation of the public and media by giving selected information, by taking things out of context, will continue. The pervasive influence of e-government can be a reality only if the backbone for e-commerce which is the internet is in place.



India

Ministry of

Environment

and Forests

Forest resources

Forest Dwellers

Fringe Villagers

Tour Operators

Forest Staff

Services

Scienti

fic

Data

GIS

Mapping Poaching

Issues

Indep

enden

t

Audit

s

Revenue

NGOs,

Social

Entrepr

eneurs

Infrastr

ucture

Land

records

Entrepreneu

rship/Liveli

hood

Forest

Resources

Wildlif

e

Census

Legal

Issues

Educatio

n

e-governance for conservation

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