ICT in Community Radio to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in Nepal Dr. Ram Chandra Lamichhane

According to our common future or Brundtland Commission (1978), “Sustainable development is a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. Sustainable development has been the national as well as global agenda for last 25 years after the Rio Earth Summit in 1992.  After the Millennium Development Goals to eradicate the poverty and bring the prosperity in the world, the United Nation General Assembly (UNGA) in 2015 has accepted the sustainable development goals for 2030. Total 193 member countries have endorsed and accepted it as a mainstream focus for the development. It has 17 thematic goals and 169 indicators. All developed, developing and least developed countries are in the mission of SDGs. Of course, Nepal as a member of the UN is a part of this global initiative.

Communication is one of the major components of the sustainable development. Unless all beneficiaries of the country become aware about the essences and opportunities of the development, achieving the SDGs is simply impossible. Nepal is a relatively new to the world of technology as its history started few decades ago. In Nepal, the access over the communication and information is fragmented. The reach of the internet in the country is about 72%. Currently more than 20 internet service providers (ISPs), 6 telecom companies, some software and IT companies are being functional in Nepal. The improvement is going on the field of technological gadgets. The access over the smart phone, laptop and tablet is rising in the country.

Currently, Community Radios are emerging source of information and communication for marginalized and vulnerable grass-root communities. The community radios have been using the ICT for producing and broadcasting the programs. The community radios have been using Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, You tube, Google+ etc. to collect and disseminate the information.  The ICT has support to shift the power from elites to ordinary people. Now ordinary people of rural Nepal have easy access over community radio and media through new social media and mobile.

ICT have been considered as the integral part of the SDGs agendas. Country like Nepal will have multiple impacts on application of the SDGs if there is a proper development in the capacity of community journalist and rural people including marginalized groups (women, ethnic groups etc.) on application of ICT.

 

Photo: https://www.welcomenepal.com