Kalam suggests solutions for implementing sustainable development initiatives

Major research and action need of the hour, he says.

For the benefits of sustainable developments to reach the people, those at the bottom of the pyramid, major research and action are needed, former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has said.

He was speaking at the International Conference on ‘Sustainable Development and Governance: Building Commerce and Communities’, organised by the Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University in association with the Deakin University, Australia.

To overcome the problem, he had proposed two systems: ‘User Community Pyramid’, and ‘Societal Radar Development’.

He explained that the ‘User Community Pyramid’ was the use of integrated technological solutions and the application thereof for sustainable development of the people.

The second, ‘Societal Radar Development’, was to review and monitor how the targeted community had benefited from the ‘User Community Pyramid’. The Pyramid linked natural resources, information and communication technology, convergence of technologies, societal business model, applications and users.

Mr. Kalam said that the objective of the Pyramid model was providing safe drinking water and water for irrigation in a sustainable way, reducing pollution using technology and best practices, using more renewable energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuel, managing resources in such a manner that it did not affect the environment and lead to further deterioration of health and environment, and enriching biodiversity and thereby bringing peace and economic prosperity to the nation.

He also said that the essential attributes of the Radar were access to food and nutrition, clean water and sanitation, healthcare services, income generation, education and capacity building, electricity and telecommunication systems and financial services. Mr. Kalam clarified that all the attributes were equally important.

He shared with the gathering two projects that had helped communities gain economically because of the use of information technology – use of geospatial application for helping fishermen identify potential fishing zones and the use of global positioning system by students of a school in Almora district, Uttarakhand, to help the city planners plan developments.

Nava Subramaniam, a representative of Deakin University, said that India was an ideal place for coming up with solution to address sustainable development issues. It had a richer setting.

She mooted collaboration between the two institutions to carry forward sustainable development projects.

Venkat Rangan, Vice-Chancellor, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, was present. Mr. Kalam also looked at the exhibits at the exhibition that was organised as part of the project.