Abstract

New approaches to rural development are emphasizing the need to devolve decision-making to the local level. Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) is a resource development strategy that is based on local community involvement in the planning, implementation and monitoring stages. In Mozambique, CBNRM initiatives in remote areas are significantly hampered by the difficulty of exchanging information and data between local, district, provincial and national decision-making levels. This contributes to severe delays in, or total absence of, information flows between the various levels. Minimizing such constraints to communication could improve the way CBNRM initiatives are carried out. The question is, how to promote cost-effective communication and information flow systems in places that lack conventional communication and information infrastructures?

This activity will follow up on the 1996 study, "A Guide to Improving Internet Access in Africa with Wireless Technologies," and the feasibility study, "97-5930 (003866) Connectivity Strategy for Natural Resources Management Projects in Tete and Manica Provinces, Mozambique." The grant will allow consultants from Centro de Informatica Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (CIUEM) and Telecomunicaçoes de Moçambique (TDM) to review previous studies and consultant reports, and assess the recommendations from these reports for appropriately addressing the communications problem in Tete Manica; to make a site visit to analyse the communication problem; to review the draft project proposal with a view to correcting any technical flaws in the project design; to identify the most appropriate institution within Mozambique to undertake any future project on the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and CBNRMs; and to submit a report on findings to IDRC's Acacia initiative and the Mozambique Acacia Advisory Committee.

Recipient Institution(s)