Rural Urban Linkage Thematic Area: Information and Support for Mountain People

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Information and Support for Mountain People

Information and support are key elements that enable people to better find solutions to problems and access opportunities to better their lives and reduce vulnerability. Mountains are notorious for their isolation, and mountain people suffer relatively greater isolation than most other groups in the world. For example, the recent report of poverty indicators namely access to electricity, water and infa-structure in Peru is in the Mountains, not in the lowlands or urban areas (FONCODES 2006).
There are many programs financed on Information support. A host of telecenters, radio programs etc. telephone communication and the internet are reaching more and more locations especially in free non monopoly market environments. (Kenny 2001 TechKnowLogia, July/August, 2001 © Knowledge Enterprise, Inc.).

Strategy of the Global Mountain Program

Mountains have various institutions developed to bring structure to support sustainable mountain development. The institution set up to support information and communication is the Mountain Forum. The CGIAR has 35 years of experience in providing both in information, tools and technologies adapted as options for mountain productivity and sustainability. In addition, it has the advantage of being a neutral broker between different groups in various continents bring research and connecting to development processes.

Opportunities

Framework:
Overall the process of information and support are linked as a framework of development to democracy and centralization processes which are taking place in many nations over the world. Linking to these processes, with information, options and support to mountain people especially in areas of agriculture and NRM will be a component of this process. A further component is to link is to education at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

Technological & participatory processes
a. Access: Mountain communities have their avenues of access to information for various issues. Working with selected communities and making them the Local information and knowledge networks: Bring together current knowledge and research with mountain communities on how they function, who or what are the key sources and develop and test realistic, affordable mechanisms to strengthen key information support components.
b. Technological: Work with groups including the CGIAR Information Technology Groups, to use state of the art Information Technology to deliver more intelligent information systems appropriate for mountain people in the next 10 years. This will be done in collaboration with the Mountain Forum which is the international organ for this purpose and with which we have already signed an MoU to together work towards developing an ‘Innovation Marketplace’ for mountain people. Connect and Develop cutting edge expertise relevant technical information systems for mountain people.
c. Products: The basis of all information and support systems are real products that address real needs. There are many already available, but not collected or processed to be useful for mountain communities. The first task of the GMP is to collect and synthesize the CGIARs “offer”, or inventory, of mountain experience, tools technologies and information and to make these easily accessible. Much has been done in the last 25 years that is of relevance today or at least should be provided as options. It is striking that with all the support for CGIAR research over the years there is today no place the information can easily be found.
d. Expand the role of the CGIAR in the international mountain debate. The GMP intends to continue to be active in the global dialogue on mountains though close partnership in organizations set up to implement Agenda 21 conventions on mountains.

Expected impact: Effective collective CGIAR action in mountains with governments and other key mountain groups, leading to better support for sustainable mountain development.

Objectives

a) Collect the CGIAR “offer” (information, tools, technologies produced in the last 20 years) for mountains; make it accessible,

b) and promote research that enables better access of mountain people to information and support for sustainable mountain development.

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