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Enhancing Urban Environmental Management Through ICT: A Case Study of Colombo Municipal Council

Explore the role of Information and Communication Technologies in urban environmental management at Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) with a focus on GIS, CMC website, and e-governance portal. Learn about the impact, lessons learned, and the way forward for improved transparency and efficiency.

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Enhancing Urban Environmental Management Through ICT: A Case Study of Colombo Municipal Council

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  1. Using Information and Communication Technologies in Urban Environmental Management 7th Thematic Seminar” Strengthening the Implementation of the Kitakyushu Initiative 13-14th December 2004, Bangkok, Thailand Dr. M. Balasuriya Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Health Colombo Municipal Council Sri Lanka

  2. Where we are located on the World Map.. Sri Lanka

  3. Sri Lanka Area 62,705 Sq. Km Population  19,238,575Population Density 304 persons per sq. km Population growth rate  0.89% (2000 est.) Literacy Rate 92% Annual per capita GNP US$ 813 Ethnic Mix Sinhalese 74% Tamils 18.1% Muslims 7.1% Burghers & Others 0.8% Religious Mix Buddhists 69.4% Hindus 15.5% Christians 7.6% Islamics & Others 7.5%

  4. City of Colombo Population : 675,000 Area : 37.31 sq km Floating Population : 500,000 Administrative Districts: 6 Wards: 47 No. of Underserved settlements: 1614 (46% of Housing Stock) Population Growth Rate : 1.14%

  5. ROLE OF THE COLOMBO MUNICIPAL COUNCIL Public health & Curative services Solid waste management Maintenance of roads Street lighting Water and drainage Veterinary services Sports and recreation services Library services Public assistance

  6. Internal and external day-to-day management and communication of information • By word of mouth (30%) rate payers visit the relevant department to make requests, ask questions regarding services etc., Vertical and horizontal communication channels within the CMC organizational matrix • Telephone calls (50%) • Written complaints (10%) • Faxes & emails (10%) The Colombo Municipal Council

  7. Why use ICT in Urban Environmental Management at the CMC? Speed & Efficiency of Management Promotes Transparency on CMC activities Documentation • Tools that have been implemented to improve the management and communication of information • GIS • CMC website • E-governance portal

  8. Thematic mapping with GIS • Data visualization technique where the attributes of geographic features are displayed graphically in maps. • Useful for the Epidemiological reporting, co-relation of information, analysis, and dissemination of information. • Currently used in surveillance of - • Vector-borne diseases • Water-borne diseases • Air-pollution levels • Traffic Accidents • Solid waste management • Helps in data visualization from a spatial perspective.

  9. For each point there is a parcel of information which could be obtained by clicking on it. This sort of information is very important for planners and also for the public.

  10. The water-bodies are polluted by dumped garbage. Weeds grow on islands of garbage, which trap rain water, making it an ideal place for dengue mosquito breeding.

  11. The Colombo Municipal Council Website • Colombo Municipality Website opened for the City rate payers in 2002. • http://www.cmc.lk • This is a forum for ratepayers of Colombo, to interact with their elected Council members & Staff. • It also provides information on what services the Municipality has to offer, and also about its reason happening and future plans.

  12. Features • Descriptions of each department • Profiles of the mayor and council members • Public board with announcements on Council activities • Maps of the city • History of Colombo • Complaints & Proposals

  13. e-Governance portal http://www.colombocity.org Colombo Municipality e-governance portal opened for the City rate payers in 2003.

  14. e-Governance portal • Rate Payers can submit requests to the Municipality on areas that need intervention and get a quick turnaround on their requests. • The Mayor as the e-governance administrator can monitor the responses from each department.

  15. Lessons Learned • How has ICT been effective? • GIS -has helped in the correlation of situational factors in problem solving. • Website-transparency, easy access to staff and departmental information and activities for rate payers • E-governance portal- better monitoring of turnaround on requests/complaints • Limitations to use of ICT • Lack of computer literacy and skill levels among staff and City rate payers • Change in operational behaviors and management styles • Cost in terms of maintenance • Data management • The way forward… • The Upper Management has seen how effective the GIS system (on a pilot level) has been as a management tool for day-to-day work • This will be scaled up to be used in other departments as well • The next steps –Colombo City Forum -e-discussions section for ratepayers to converse with the mayor and Municipal staff..E-governance site creates a forum for closer interaction between stakeholders and this tool will enhance accountability, transparency and responsiveness in the CMCs work.

  16. Thank you.

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