This presentation was made in a conference in India, in 2005. eight years on, with broad band reaching six lac villages in India, time is ripe to implement a technology plan for wildlife conservation in India.

1. E-governance for Conservation in
India
Susan Sharma, PhD
IndianWildlifeClub.com

2. E-governance for Conservation in
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.
IndianWildlifeClub.com

3. E-governance for Conservation in
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.
IndianWildlifeClub.com

4. E-governance for Conservation in
India
Jal (Water)
Jungle( Forest)
Conservation Services Janwar(Animals)
Jan (People)
Jameen ( Land)
IndianWildlifeClub.com

5. E-governance for Conservation in
India
NGOs, Infrastr Land
Scienti Audit Social ucture records
fic Entrepr
Data eneurs
Educatio
n
Legal Forest resources
Issues Ministry of Forest Dwellers
Environment Services
Fringe Villagers
and Forests Tour Operators Wildlif
Forest Staff e
Census
GIS
Mapping Poaching Forest Entrepren
Issues Revenue Resources eurship/Li
velihood
IndianWildlifeClub.com

6. E-governance for Conservation in
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.
IndianWildlifeClub.com

7. E-governance for Conservation in
India
Name Entrepreneurship potential
Gyandoot, 2000 User fees are charged for the services
provided by rural youth.
ITC charges transaction fee and pays
ITC’s E-Choupal
commission to kiosk owners for sales.
Electronic fat testing machines enable
Amul’s Dairy portal
instant valuation of milk and instant
payment to the farmer.
TV entertainment, and other offline
TARAhaat, 2000
services help generate a range of
revenue streams
IndianWildlifeClub.com

8. E-governance for Conservation in
India
Name Entrepreneurship potential
Kiosks owned and operated by
e- Shringala
entrepreneurs .
Rural kiosks in West Godavari District
e-Seva
are run by women self help groups.
Sugar cane growers and suppliers to
“Parrys Corners”
EID Parry encouraged to become
entrepreneurs .
IndianWildlifeClub.com

9. E-governance for Conservation in
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.
IndianWildlifeClub.com

10. E-governance for Conservation in
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.
IndianWildlifeClub.com

11. E-governance for Conservation in
India
NGOs/Social
Entrepreneurs Government
Tourism Finances
Revenue
Wildlife
Bio-diversity Law
Research
Forest Department
Villagers
Training/E
ducation
Staff welfare fund
Media
Recruitment
Insurgency in
Politics
Parks
IndianWildlifeClub.com

12. E-governance for Conservation in
India
NGOs/Social
Entrepreneurs Government
Tourism Finances
Revenue
Wildlife
Bio-diversity Law
Research
Fringe villages
Training/Ed
ucation
Livelihood options
Media
Recruitment
Insurgency in Forest
Parks Department
Politics
IndianWildlifeClub.com

13. E-governance for Conservation in
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.
IndianWildlifeClub.com

14. E-governance for Conservation in
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.
IndianWildlifeClub.com

15. E-governance for Conservation in
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.
IndianWildlifeClub.com

16. E-governance for Conservation in
India
Indep NGOs, Infrastr Land
Scienti enden Social ucture records
fic t Entrepr
Data Audit eneurs
s
Educatio
n
Legal Forest resources
Issues Ministry of Forest Dwellers
Environment Services Fringe Villagers
and Forests Tour Operators
Forest Staff Wildlif
e
Census
GIS
Mapping Poaching Revenue Forest Entrepreneu
Issues Resources rship/Liveli
hood
IndianWildlifeClub.com