ICT for Environment: Environmental Information System to Promote Sustainability of Alternative Energy in Nepal 

Abstract

Climate change, pollution, degradation of biodiversity and scarcity of energy is a serious global issue today. Developed nations are using ICT to substantially reduce the environmental impacts, in particular by increasing energy efficiency of multiple sectors. However, ICT industry itself currently contribute around 2% of greenhouse gas emission and is growing at fast rate. ICT seems to have both negative and positive effect on environment. Nepal is a developing country and have environmental issues in the lowest of its priorities. Apart from small environmental projects output and table driven data there is no interactive Environmental Information System (EIS) available to aware citizens on the environmental status of the nation.
“ICT for Environment: Environmental Information System to Promote Sustainability of Alternative Energy in Nepal” is a project that tries to weigh benefit of ICT for environment over its harm and find the extent to which ICT is involved for environmental and energy sustainability. The analysis is done referencing national and international scenario. A web based Geographical Information System (GIS) application is developed using environmental and demographic data of Nepal as layers. The application provides environmental information of Nepal. Users can manipulate, view and create report of the available data layers for their own purpose like decision making and problem solving.
Based on many observations, the project aims to logically conclude what ICT really means more to environment: a friend or a foe. Meanwhile, GIS system empowers people with easy access to environmental information and demonstrates how ICT can have influence on environment.