ict & its impact

7/30/2019 ICT & its impact

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Of all the Millennium Development Goals, halving poverty by 2015 is the most important

and challenging one. This challenging job can be done quite successfully if theinformation and communication technology (ICT) can be integrated in the Government

and civil society initiatives towards alleviating poverty.

This paper discusses the significance of ICT revolution in the context of reducing

poverty in Bangladesh. Some important ways in which ICT can be used for alleviating

poverty in Bangladesh are: (a) Farmers and small businessmen can have information

about market prices and competition through radio, TV, phones, and websites. In this

way, they can take more informed decisions about which markets to sell to, avoiding

middlemen, or they can have more bargaining power if they ultimately sell their goods to

these middlemen; (b) Different rules and regulations of doing business and the overallinvestment climate in Bangladesh can be easily presented in an accessible format

through websites. Therefore, business confidence will be increased, and it will pave the

way for more investment (both local and foreign), leading towards an increased level of

employment. It will surely have a positive impact on poverty; (c) with the help of ICT

people can access easily and this therefore assists in achieving universal connectivity

and access, (d) using the facilities of telemedicine, rural patients and village doctors can

consult with specialist doctors in cities. This may ensure the improved health services to

the poverty-stricken rural people living. Moreover, information about health hazards,

hygiene, nutrition, etc. can also be disseminated through radio, TV, and websites; and

(e) No poverty-alleviation strategy can be successful without ensuring quality education

for the poor and marginalized people. To reach standard education to every nook and

corner of the country, the ICT can play an important role. Using the virtual education

system, the poor will be able to get world-class education with minimum cost. The

distance-learning approach can also be useful in this regard; (f) Intermodal

Transportation Systems (ITS) is also an invention of ICT. It allows more efficient, cost

effective and sustainable transportation than the traditional transportation systems. With

the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), operative

issues can be dealt in a different way than in the past, taking advantage of the effective

impact of these innovative technologies on ITS decision making.

In this age of ICT, concerted efforts are needed from the Government, NGOs, and all

concerned for the investigation, design, and implementation of necessary measures

towards alleviating intense poverty in Bangladesh through the use of ICT.


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Information and communication technology (ICTs) comprises of three separate words information, communication and technology. Information is defined as any kind ofmessage; written, audio, visual or audio-visual through which a person gets knowledgeabout a new person, place, thing, situation, or environment. Similarly, communication isthe way of transferring such message to others which needs a medium, a clearmessage, and sender and receiver. Information & communication technology is the useof modern technology to aid the capture, processing, storage and retrieval, andcommunication of information, whether in the form of numerical data, text, sound, orimage (Rahman, M. A., 2008) and the ICTs infrastructures are defined as the deviceswhich are used for communication and exchange of information.

There has been rapid development ofinformation technologies internationally inthe last two decades. Studies from NewlyIndustrialised Countries (NICs) and thedeveloped world have shown that ICTcan positively contribute to economicgrowth and development (Hamelink, 1997).It is further argued that ICT have thepotential to reduce poverty and improvelivelihoods by empowering users withtimely knowledge, reducing transaction

costs, and appropriate skills forincreasing productivity (Kenny, 2000).

This paper explores the link betweenICTs and poverty reduction by analyzing the role of ICT devices in enhancing the poorslivelihood. ICT devices are major catalysts for information and knowledge that cancreate development opportunities and choices for all communities (UN, 2004: 2-3). Thesecan, under certain conditions, help improve the living conditions of the poor peoplethrough better and more sustainable livelihood strategies.

What is the role of ICT in poverty reduction? Does ICT create new divisions betweenrich and poor or does it reduce existing socio-economic divides? Does it have any directrole in reducing poverty or is it just a luxury that the poor can ill afford? There are twoopposing opinion camps: those that consider ICT to be the panacea for povertyreduction and those that claim that ICT has no reasonable role in poverty reduction aslong as the basic needs of the poor are not met (Anita Kelles, 2003). ICT is, on the onehand, the most recent, most exciting manifestation of general technological progress hence contributing directly to economic growth and, on the other hand, generallyseen to be an industry where increasing returns are pervasive: creating the first copy of


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a new working piece of software or the first design of a new semiconductor chip iscostly, but running off further copies costs virtually nothing. In this reasoning,agglomeration and lock-in characterise ICT while at the same time ICT contributes tooverall economic growth (Quah, Danny, 2001).

The argument in this paper comes somewhere in between. It is argued that ICT, ifsupported with the right policies and with cross-cutting and holistic approaches, willcomplement and strengthen other multi-sectored efforts that are required for povertyreduction, including those meeting basic needs (Anita Kelles, 2003).

It has been estimated that over 700 million of the world's poor live in Asia-Pacifiui region

i.e., those who earn $1 or less a day. Nearly one of three Asians is poor. The poverty

encourages corruption, anti-social activities like drugs, smuggling, prostitution, and all

sorts of deviant behavior.

If we want to reduce poverty then we have to get aware of the tools that can help us inthis aspect. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) or some of its deviceslike telephones, televisions, radio, mobile phones, internet, etc. are recently the mostavailable and reliable tools that can help us in our aim. This is one of the reasons whywe need to get more aware of the roles of ICT in reducing the poverty. Through theusage of ICTs better and more sustainable livelihood strategies which can help toimprove the living condition of the poor Bangladeshi people. Some of the examples ofthe roles of ICTs are as follows (Phil Marker et al. 2002):

Increase access to market information and lower transaction costs for poorfarmers and tradersIncrease efficiency, competitiveness and market access of developing countryfirmsEnhance ability of developing countries to participate in global economy and toexploit comparative advantage in factor costs (particularly skilled labour).

ICT and its development in Bangladesh:

According to most of the recent findings, the role of ICTs in development has been

mostly through new technologies, such as the internet and mobile phones (Falch &

Anyimadu, 2003). There is a vast usage of devices like Mobile phones and Televisions in

all over Bangladesh. These devices undoubtedly helped the people of Bangladesh in

various sectors; some of the important ones are as follows (Phil Marker et al. 2002):


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Agriculture: The farmers can get aware of the market prices of their crops and their

required materials and save themselves from getting deceived by both their

customers and suppliers. ICTs can also help the farmers by making them aware of

some new, efficient and cost saving methods of agriculture.

Education: Educational and Literacy programs in television can help to encourage

the children for education and get aware of the government facilities for the poor to

get educated.

Healthcare: Monitoring and information-sharing on disease and famine can be

significantly increased.

Business: Information about and benefits of the products can be more easily and

affectively conveyed to the overall population.

Employment: ICT provides employment information to the unemployed people

through newspaper, mobile and internet which help them to be self reliant.

In Bangladesh the most successful example of the role of ICT was the micro-credit

system introduced by the Grameen Bank (Alexander G. Flor, 2001). This system

remarkably helped in the revolution of many poor families in the rural areas.

ICTs helps in reducing Poverty:

ICT helps small farmers and artisans by connecting them to markets (Zijp, 1994). This

helps the prevention of deceitful acts by various participants in the supply chain.

ICTs have an important role in reducing poverty by improving flows of information and

communications within the general population of Bangladesh (Kearns & Grant, 2002).

Recommendation for future step:

The implementation of ICT projects needs to be performed by organizations and

individuals who have the appropriate incentives to work with marginalized groups.


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Drawing from a wide range of recent literature, we identify some important ways that

come together at many points in the literature: universal access, education, agriculture,communication and health.

Connectivity and Universal Access:

There has been dramatic global increase in ICT connectivity and use, with usagenearing universal in some developing, as well as many advanced, countries. Thepoorest of the poor are still unconnected, but quite income poor people spendsurprisingly large fractions of disposable income on mobile phone use, including calls,messages, and other innovative techniques to communicate cheaply or for free (e.g.,beeping and missed call messages). Research shows that poor people like others,

highly value communication for social, economic, and other benefits. Both need andeffective demand exist. Increasingly, so does supply, through low-priced business andnonprofit activity, as does public support in terms of basic infrastructure, policy andregulation, universal access schemes, and investment in full range of public and sociale-services (Randy Spence and Matthew L. Smith, 2009). This therefore assists in achievinguniversal connectivity and access, and helps (particularly rural) farmers to engage withthe global market systems that affect their livelihoods (Falch and Anyimadu, 2003).

So, this is a story of demand on one side, and on the other, the combination oftechnology and all the processes (market, public, nonprot, political, etc.) that produceaffordable supply. Connectivity is the basis on which all the potential benets (andcosts) of ICTs rest (Randy Spence & Matthew L. Smith, 2009). And while major increaseshave taken place with mobile phones, there is still a long way to go in many countriesand very poor populations and even longer to reach global universal broadbandconnectivity.

Education:

Education should offer conditions needed to optimize learning and promote the transferof knowledge and skills. Authenticity is an important issue which should be addressed inthe design and development of learning environments (Collins, 1996).

National ICT policies have reached an established position in both developed anddeveloping countries. A study funded by the Australian Department of Education,Science and Training revealed that most national ICT policies focus on the educationalsector (Kearns & Grant, 2002). Education is put forward as the central actor to pursue andattain the objectives of the ICT policy; other sectors are expected to benefit indirectlyfrom this approach. Educational ICT policies have been designed in a variety of ways,depending on the dominant rationales that drive curriculum development. As early as 15


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years ago, Hawkridge (1990) discerned four different rationales that drive policies relatedto the integration of ICT and the use of computers in education:

An economic rationale: the development of ICT skills is necessary to meet the

need for a skilled work force, as learning is related to future jobs and careers;

A social rationale: this builds on the belief that all pupils should know about andbe familiar with computers in order to become responsible and well-informed

citizens;

An educational rationale: ICT is seen as a supportive tool to improve teaching

and learning;

A catalytic rationale: ICT is expected to accelerate educational innovations.

According to a research, since 2001, The Directorate of Vocational Education hasstarted a program whose objective is to train teachers and students in using informationtechnology especially the internet at schools. This program has a huge effect on the

scenario of results of the students of Bangladesh. Since the ICTs like internet andeducational television programs had been introduced, the literacy level has becomequite better. Some of other important examples (Phil Marker et al. 2002) which reflect therole of ICT are as follows:

Increase supply of trained teachers through ICT-enhanced and distance trainingof teachers and networks that link teachers to their colleagues both in-countryand internationallyImprove the efficiency and effectiveness of education ministries and relatedbodies through strategic application of technologiesBroaden availability of quality educational materials/resources

Deliver educational and literacy programs specifically targeted to poor girls &women using appropriate technologies to encourage the women to get educated.

The ICT literacy among students and teachers are still low, those who live in theperimeters or remote areas. We have to take huge public awareness campaign throughvarious media. Poverty and underdevelopment is in-built with our culture. Forsustainable socio-economy development we need to change this attitude and giveproper attention to education & ICT.

Health:

The importance of the social sciences for medical informatics is increasinglyrecognized. As ICT requires interaction with people and thereby inevitably affects them,understanding ICT requires a focus on the interrelation between technology and itssocial environ-ment. Sociotechnical approaches increase our understanding of how ICTapplications are developed, introduced and become a part of social practices.Sociotechnical approaches share several starting points: 1) they see health care workas a social, real life phenomenon, which may seem messy at first, but which is guidedby a practical rationality that can only be overlooked at a high price (i.e. failed systems).


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2) They see technological innovation as a social process, in which organizations aredeeply affected. 3) Through in-depth, formative evaluation, they can help improvesystem design and implementation (M. Berg et al. 2003).

Malnutrition is responsible, directly or indirectly, for about half of deaths that occurannually among children aged less than 5 years in Bangladesh (Shamsul Huda Patwary etal. 2007). Improving poor people as well as child, health care is one of the mostpromising areas for poverty alleviation with ICT. Information and communicationstechnology (ICT) has the potential to improve access to, and the quality, safety, andefficiency of health care in Bangladesh. Public broadcast media such as radio &television provides necessary information which creates awareness among masspeople.

For emergency case mobile operators of Bangladesh- GP, Aktel and Bangla link havecome forward to provide primary health care service through doctors. Any patient with

the help of mobile can contact with the doctor & can take doctors prescription at thecost of a call rate. Using the facilities of telemedicine, rural patients and village doctorscan consult with specialist doctors in cities. This may ensure the improved healthservices to the poverty-stricken rural people living. Some of the examples of role of ICT(Phil Marker et al. 2002) in health care as follows as:

Enhance delivery of basic and in-service training for health workers.

Increase monitoring and information-sharing on disease and famine.Increase access of rural care-givers to specialist support and remote diagnosis.

Increase access to reproductive health information, including information on

AIDS prevention, through locally-appropriate content in local languages.

Agriculture:

Agriculture, besides representing an important source of revenue for producers andprocessors in developing countries, remains an important source of livelihood for boththe rural and urban populations, especially for women, and as such, represents animportant option for the reduction of poverty. Unfortunately, no region wide statistics areavailable to estimate the numbers of people employed in agriculture (Julian May et al.2007).

As with other economic sectors, effective agricultural development requires access toinformation on all aspects of agricultural production, processing and marketing and itseems likely that if anything this need is increasing (Jones, 1997).

A rural farmer could have the latest crop prices, but still be unable to get a fair price forhis or her crop because of unequal power relations with middle-men or poor roadnetworks. Information and communication can be used as tools to exert power overothers, encourage violence or perpetuate inequality or prejudice. While improving


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information and communication flows, and infrastructures, within a society might fostereconomic growth at a macro level, the benefits of that growth can be distributed veryunequally within society. Therefore, addressing the information and communicationneeds of the poor must form one important component of a wider strategy to tackle

poverty (Phil Marker et al. 2002).

ICT is already showing the potential to play an important role in the delivery of thisinformation to this sector in both developed and developing countries (Zijp, 1994).Through ICT, agricultural extension agents can more effectively access and share localand global knowledge on crops, pest management, irrigation and other aspects ofsmall-scale agriculture relevant to the needs of the poorest (Phil Marker et al. 2002).

With the help of ICT the farmer may also seek advice where and when he needs it. Hewill be able to describe the problem by natural speak illustrated by photos or videorecordings; time and location are recorded automatically. He may then send theproblem by e-mail to the extension officer and receive a reply after some time, or he

may solve the problem interactively in a dialogue with the extension officer or with anon-line decision support system. On very large farms, the farmers in the above linesmay be replaced by the farm staff and the extension officer may be replaced by the farmmanager(Iver Thysen, 2000).

The FAO distinguishes five broad categories through which ICT are used in theagricultural sector. These are technical and economic development for agriculturalproducers; community development; research and education; small and mediumenterprise (SME) development; and media networks (FAO, 2006).

Intermodal Transportation Systems (ITS):

Intermodal Transportation Systems (ITS) are logistics networks integrating differenttransportation services, designed to move goods from origin to destination in a timelymanner and using multiple modes of transportation (Caris, Macharis & Janssens, 2008,Macharis & Bontekoning, 2004). The ITS management and planning are currently relevantsubjects of research because; it allows more efficient, cost effective and sustainabletransportation than the traditional transportation systems (Crainic & Kim, 2007, EuropeanCommission Task Force, 1997). However, ITS decision making is a very complex process,due to the dynamical and large scale nature of these systems, the hierarchical structureof decisions, the multiplicity of actors involved, as well as the randomness of various

inputs and operations. A systematic way to capture all decisions in the management ofITS typically proposed in the related literature is based on a three-level hierarchy:strategic, tactical and operational ones. Strategic level planning involves ITS design andconsiders time horizons of a few years, requiring approximate and aggregate data.Tactical level planning basically refers to the optimization of the flow of goods andservices through a given logistics network. Finally, operational level management is ashort-range planning, involving transportation scheduling of all transporters on an hour-


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to-hour basis, subject to the changing market conditions as well as to unforeseentransportation requests and accidents.

With the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), operativeissues can be dealt in a different way than in the past, taking advantage of the effectiveimpact of these innovative technologies on ITS decision making. Indeed, ICT solutionscan increase the data flow and the information quality while allowing real-time dataexchange in intelligent transportation systems and traffic networks (Crainic & Kim, 2007,Dotoli, Fanti & Meloni, 2006). As discussed by Giannopoulos (2004), numerous novelapplications of ICT to the transportation field are currently in various stages ofdevelopment, but in the information transfer area the new systems seem to beunimodal. In the application of ICT solutions to multimodal chains, an important andlargely unexplored research field is the assessment of the impact of the new ICT toolson management and control of ITS at the operational level before their implementation,by a cost-benefit analysis (Xu & Hancock, 2004, Zografos & Regan, 2004). In particular, aneffective ITS model at the operational level should focus on evaluating performanceindices 3 describing activities, resources (cost, utilization and inventory), output(throughput, lead time) and flexibility (lead-time, lead time variability) (Viswanadham,1999) by integrating information flows.

Communication:

Much of the recent attention to the role of ICTs in development has focused on newtechnologies, such as the Internet and mobile phones. Yet the full range of ICTs isrelevant to the fight against poverty. Radio and television are important information toolsthat are much more widespread in developing countries than telephones or the Internet.

Print media is vital both to the spread of information and to fostering participation anddiversity of views in society. Computers, even if not linked to global networks, are animportant tool to increase efficiency in all sectors of society (Phil Marker et al. 2002). Newtechnologies do not change the fundamental role of information and knowledge asdrivers of development and poverty reduction, nor obscure the role of more establishedinformation and communication technologies. However, they create new opportunitiesto expand the availability, exchange and impact of information and knowledge.

According to the World Bank (2001) the experience with the African internet serviceproviders suggests that countries with a highly liberalized telecommunications networkhad costs of Internet access eight times lower than those with a completely closed

market. According to the World Bank, the retail segment of the market needs to beliberalized with the non prohibition of reseller activity, at least, when it comes to phones.At the same time, it is worth noting that liberalization does not always increasehousehold access to telephones. This has been the case in Eastern Europe and LatinAmerica. A wider policy reform is, therefore, required that includes a pro-poor ICT policytogether with the reforms in investment policy, education and special support to ICTprovision in rural areas. The promise of ICT has become stronger with the passage oftime & a future without ICT in any part of the world is unthinkable (BBS, Household


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Income & expenditure Survey, 2005). As a part of this movement, more specifically due tothe boom in ICT, Bangladesh is already connected to the outside world. Yet, our onlysuccess lies in mobile telecommunication, which has brought a huge change intelecommunication scenario of the country. In spite of such development there is still

digital divide in the country. There is less penetration in rural area. Digital gap betweenrural &urban people- only 0.33% rural people use telephone, 6.05% use mobile which ismuch less than urban. From the data it is inferred that rural people has less access toinformation (Bangladesh Demographic & health Survey, 2007). There are six mobileoperators in Bangladesh. The mobile operators are Grameen phone, Bangla link, Robi,City cell, Tele talk, Airtel. For competitive environment mobile operators are expandingtheir business competitively which results in increase the number of subscribers. Totalnumber of mobile subscriber in Bangladesh is 5.47 crore (The Daily Star, 2010). But, asper mobile operators report, there is still less access to mobile phone in rural area.According to the Finance Ministers budget speech/2010, Bangladesh telecompenetration rate is around 38%, which means that 62% is still beyond reach of telecom

services (The Daily Star, 2010). To ensure development digital divide to be minimized &universal access to ICT especially to mobile phone to be ensured. Universal access toICT requires proper policy formulation & its implementation.

It is worth underlining that this article is mostly about mobile phone access and use, asthis is the dominant story of the last decade for people in the bottom or base of thepyramid. This is not to deny the importance of broadband, Internet connection, orcomputers and devices with computing power much greater than that of mobiles.Initiatives in tele-center development and one laptop per child, for example, areimportant in bringing more complex services to poor people, and have had mixedsuccess and reviews. But for many poor countries, the rate at which ICTs aredeveloping is slower than in developed countries. Recent research (Rodriguez & Wilson,2000) found Evidence shows that new digital sources of information and knowledge,while benefiting the minority of the well off and educated, are bypassing the lesseducated and the poor(UNDP, 1999; Wilson, 1999).

One of the most successful financing models that emerged from the Third World is themicro-credit system introduced by the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh. Because of thissystem many people in the rural areas was successful in improving their living standard.After this innovative idea the founder of Grammen Bank, Professor Muhammad Yunus,has come up with another extraordinary idea, which is a cellular phone project(Alexander G. Flor, 2001). According to this project, one individual from almost 45,000villages can acquire a mobile phone through a small loan from the bank, which will beused to give residents access to ICT. This phone becomes a village telephone serviceprovider, earning income for the owner besides providing a much-needed utility to thecommunity.

Business:

There is an on-going view that IT is totally irrelevant for the poor who are generallyilliterate; IT is too expensive for them to reach out to; the poor do not need fancy IT,


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they need food. These are the voices of the skeptics. Now in three years there are morethan 5000 Telephone Ladies in Bangladesh villages doing roaring business sellingtelephone service said Mohammed Yunus in 2001. Over the past several decades, thedevelopment of new information and communications technologies (ICTs) has resulted

in significant changes in the global economy and the way people, companies, andcountries interact and do business (Bhagwati, 2004, Sachs, 2005 et al. 2002). The reducedcosts of communication and transportation have lowered barriers to the flows betweencountries of goods, services, capital, knowledge, and, to a lesser extent, people.Increased global trade is associated with significant economic growth.

This growth has, in turn, corresponded to an increased standard of living for millions ofpeople across the globe, although the benefits of this growth have not been uniformlydistributed across and within countries (Sachs, 2005; World Bank, 2002). Entrepreneurs arepulled into enterprise by the opportunities for income generation and growth.Entrepreneurial enterprises tend to encompass more diversified activities, includingsmall-scale manufacturing and the provision of services and trade. Some may beregistered and thus part of the formal sector. Microenterprises that are entrepreneurialtend to be comparatively small in number but can play a greater poverty-reducing rolethan survivalists, because of their higher growth, income, and employment- generatingpotential (Daniels 1999). Entrepreneurial enterprises may employ some labor and usemore sophisticated technologies than survivalist enterprises. They will probably interactmore effectively with established local (and possibly distant) markets and their ownersare more likely to possess business and technical skills, as well as the personalattributes (e.g., self-confidence and motivation) necessary to identify and exploit marketopportunities (Shaw 2004).

Botswana represents a useful case study of ICT application for microenterprise because

it possesses an urban and rural-based population that participates in a broad range ofmicroenterprise activity; a rapidly expanding and modern communications infrastructure;and a government that has made a strong commitment to poverty reduction throughexpansion of the business sector and the use of new technologies (UNDP 2005).

Secondary data:

We have collected articles from Google Scholar, IUB Library by browsing internet.

Direct observation:

We have used our ideas which we gained by observing the usage of ICT devices, of the

Bangladeshi people, in our daily lives.


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Statement Relevant findings Gaps

ICT provides

education information

The relationship between

access to ICT & getting

education information is

positive. Increase in access

to ICT results increase in

education information.

Using ICT across the

curriculum and access to

courseware to integrate ICT

within the core curriculum is

not enough.

Access to ICTs;

provide better

communication with

nearest one.

Increase in access to mobile

ICTs results in strengthening

relationship with nearest

one because there exists a

positive relationship

between access to ICT &

communication with

nearest one.

There is increased

divergence in the

technological progress (an

index composed of

measures of personal

computers, Internet hosts,

fax machine, mobile phones

and television) across

countries. The inequality in

access to ICTs is larger thanincome inequality.

Access to mobile

phone helps to rise in

income

Monthly income of mobile

usurers is positively related

to access to mobile phone.

With increase of access to

mobile phone income of the

mobile users increased

significantly.

Mobile phone ownership in

urban area is 54.7% while in

rural area it is 25.3%.

Mobile penetration in rural

area is still much low

compared to urban area.

ICT provides

agricultural

information

The relationship between

access to ICT & getting

agricultural information is

positive. Increase in access

The farmers' uptake of IT is

disappointingly modest,

even for applications that

have demonstrated


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t

a

Access to ICTS help

to get better prices

of commodities

I

c

r

p

o

ICTs proper access acts as

remarkable factor to impro

the economic condition of

nation. Access of educati

health, government afinancial services can

improved by ICT throu

availability, exchange a

impact of information a

knowledge. This will help

recover the economic conditi

of the poor people

Bangladesh up to some exte

An overall scenario is illustratin the figure showing t

changes that occurred in

developing countries that to

place with the help of ICT.

ICT results increase in

gricultural information

economical

1999; Park

lack of int

farmers is

by factors su

of educatio

high age.

crease in prices of

ommodities is positively

lated to access to mobile

hone. Relationship is more

r less strong.

Strategies

educational

opportunitie

professional

are not enou

a

ve

a

n,

ndbe

gh

nd

nd

to

on

of

nt.

edhe

3

ok

2012

benefits (Gelb,

r, 1999). This

rest in IT by

ften explained

ch as low levels

and relatively

to redirect

practice and

s for

development

gh.


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Poverty and Crime moves hand in hand and the devices of ICT acts an incomparable

role in reducing the poverty. It is often said that ICT has its negative sides, but it can beargued that, it is not the Technology who has a negative side but it is its use that has its

negative impact.

Poor communities have a right to access those technologies which they know to be

shaping their contemporary world and their and their childrens future, not only in order

to make use of them, but also to gain a more practical and realistic understanding of

how to locate themselves in that modern world to their advantages.

Department for International Development (DFID) should work with different institutions

to address the information and communication needs of the poorest and mostmarginalized who are least likely to be able to access information and communication

services. This would include encouraging intermediaries such as NGOs, educators, or

local entrepreneurs to act as a conduit for information available via technologies such

as the Internet. DFID should work to increase the capacity of developing country

partners to engage substantively on ICT issues in international negotiations.

ICT and media initiatives must be as responsive, creative, reflective and innovative as

the users have shown themselves to be. It is the responsibility of the initiatives and

programs to find and develop the more specific connections between ICTs and poverty

reduction, and to do this by making their organizations responsive on the basis ofsensitive, location-specific knowledge (research and experience) both of local media

use and of the local structures, dynamics and meanings of poverty in their community.

The correlation of ICT and poverty is unmistakable. Efforts should be made to develop

viable ICT Poverty Alleviation programs. These programs should be coordinated across

agencies in the best spirit of networking, to ensure proper focus in resource use and

synergy in development efforts. Technological interventions should be supplemented by

strong content provision. It should run parallel with a development program, thus

providing mutual reinforcement between ICT utilization and impacts. The educational

applications of ICT should be fully supported for their economic potential.

These approaches may enable us at the development assistance sector to ensure that

wisdom is not lost in knowledge and that knowledge is not lost in information in our

poverty alleviation undertakings.


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Alexander G. Flor: Paper for Third Asia Development Forum on Regional EconomicCooperation in Asia and the Pacific organized by Asian Development Bank 11-14 June 2001,

Bangkok.

Anita Kelles -Viitanen, 2003: The Role of ICT in Poverty Reduction, page-82.Bangladesh Demographic & health Survey, 2007

BBS, Household Income & expenditure Survey, 2005

Caris, C., Macharis, G., & Janssens, K. (2008). Planning problems in intermodal freighttransport: Accomplishments and prospects. Transportation Planning and Technology, 31(3),277-302.

Crainic, T. G., & Kim, K. H. (2007). Intermodal transportation. In C. Barnhart & G. Laporte

(Eds.), Transportation, handbooks in operations research and management science, 14 (pp.467-537). Amsterdam: North-Holland.

Daniels, L. (1999). The Role of Small Enterprises in the Household and National Economy ofKenya. World Development 27(1): 5565.

Dotoli, M., Fanti, M. P., & Meloni, C. (2006). A signal timing plan formulation for urban trafficcontrol. Control Engineering Practice, 14(11), 1297-1311.

Drake William J. 2001: Democracy and the Information Revolution. Background paper forDemocracy Forum. IDEA, Stockholm, June 27-29, 2001.

European Commission Task Force (1997). Transport intermodality, intermodality andintermodal freight transport in the European Union - a systems approach to freight transport,Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council. [Online].

Available: ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/transport/docs/intermodal_freight_transport_en.pdf

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