Hidefumi IMURA Mushtaq Ahmed MEMON Reiko KOYAMA, Christine PEARSON

1. Kitakyushu Initiative for a Clean Environment 7th Thematic SeminarUse of ICT in Urban Environmental ManagementUN/ESCAP Bangkok, 13-14 December 2004 Policy Measures in Promoting ICT in UEM:Identifications of Measures Necessary for Management and Communication of Information Hidefumi IMURA Mushtaq Ahmed MEMON Reiko KOYAMA, Christine PEARSON

2. Future of Information Society and UEM: Reality or Dream? • It is certain that ICT has a great potential to enhance UEM capacity. • There will be major changes in various areas, but it is difficult to predict what, when, and how those changes will come about because of their dynamism/rapid nature. • ICT in industrialized and developing countries • ICT based on PCs • ICT based on cellular phones

3. Use of ICT in UEM Today • Environmental Information Systems • Geographical Information System • Support to daily works such as emission inventories, notification, permission, licensing, etc. • Online monitoring, telemeters • Information dissemination, web, on-line voting • Virtual reality, simulations, etc. • eLearning

4. Opportunities of ICT in UEM • Very rapid development of ICT and its diffusion • Information + Communication Tools • Facilitation of public participation through ICT • Hardware + Software • How to improve contents: What types of data are really useful and necessary?

5. Important Issues 1. Information: What types of information are we targeting and where can we find it? • Management of information (generating and responding to generated information) 2. Communication: How can ICT be used? • Forms of communication (digital, traditional) • Identification of actors 3. Implementation:How is ICT useful? • Obstacles and opportunities for local governments 4. Policies and measures:How can it work effectively, i.e. what policies and measures are necessary to further promote ICT in UEM? eGOVERNANCE

6. ICT: City levels of ICT No particular system in place for ICT in UEM Legislation: outdated frameworks Implementation: enforcement of laws difficult Infrastructure: Non-existent or outdated Advanced system for ICT in UEM Legislation: Should actions be proactive or reactive? Implementation: Cross-border issues Infrastructure: Action as regulator/manager Currently developing or possesses working system for ICT in UEM Legislation: frameworks are in place Implementation: capability and expertise exist (balance between government/private sector/residents is focus) Infrastructure: deregulation, other

7. Information: Types & Location In order to manage information effectively we must determine: • Type of information we are targeting & management: • Monitoring and management of pollutants: air, soil, water (actual implementation + hardware/software) • Need of the population • Existence of policies and frameworks to facilitate the utilisation of ICT in UEM • Information systems based on GIS, remote sensoring • Data for “in-house” use (by city officials) / Data for dissemination to public/intercity dissemination • Where we can find that information • Collection at monitoring stations, daily interaction with community, other • Transfer of information to central information centre, i.e. city hall • Dissemination of information to the public

8. How can ICT be used? Application of ICT in participatory environmental management • Forms of communication • Outside access to information systems (MIS) • Dissemination of information • Digital (Websites, distance learning/eLearning, email groups…) • Traditional (paper based) • Frequency of communication • Hourly, daily, weekly, monthly • Identification of actors • Flow of information (all relevant stakeholders) • Departments, residents (community networks), businesses, intercity • Voluntary/mandatory participation

9. How is ICT useful? • Obstacles: • Political will • Technology/infrastructure (hardware/software, access to telecommunications, internet connectivity, power sources) • Capacity • # of trained staff (community networks) • Coordination between/within departments • Financing and appropriate incentives • Language and literacy (including computer literacy) • Management (voluntary/mandatory) • Accuracy/availability of information • Security of information • Opportunities: • Improvement of local governmental activities • Opening lines of communication and coordination/partnerships with relevant stakeholders • Cost cutting

10. How can ICT work effectively in UEM? What policies and measures are necessary to further promote ICT in UEM? • Basic policies to manage water/SWM/air quality must be in effect • Assessments of the needs of the population (not ICT for ICT sake) • Existence of appropriate information (accurate and up-to-date) • Fast transfer of information ⇒ efficiency • Policies for digitalization • Day-to-day management of information, universal service/access to information (telecommunications, internet connectivity), availability of appropriate hardware/software, power sources, other • Policies for dissemination • Language and literacy (computer literacy) • Policies for managing public participation/effective communication • Consideration and approaches for involvement of local staff, residents, businesses, with focus on community involvement) • Privacy, Security of Information • Risk of “Digital Divide”

11. International Cooperation • Websites • Improvement of source data & materials • Development of eLearning • Education and training • Tele-conferencing • Virtual Information Centers • Development of ICT infrastructure