Information and
Communications Technology
&
The Sustainable
Development Goals
Nowadays
we cannot think about any kind of development without technological
involvement. As we are facing so many
problems like environmental change, poverty, weak education system and its
reach, water crises and its purity etc. So the world is trying to overcome from
these all the crises and now such all issues covered in sustainable development
goals. In sustainable development goals, we are having 17 goals and under these
17 goals, we have 169 distinct targets. Now the question, Can we imagine to achieve
these goals without any information technological involvement?
And
things are becoming more difficult when these sustainable development goals are
the same for developing countries. For overall sustainable economic growth,
technology would be an unavoidable aspect.
We see technology as a powerful enabler – an agent of change to help
solve many of the challenges facing the world today as governments seek
sustainable growth and development models and focus on the future of our planet
and its people.Technology specially related to IT has amazing potential to help
achieving the SDGs, but it can also be at the root of exclusion and inequality.
We need to standardize the use of all technological benefits. There are list of
new technologies those can have potential like artificial intelligence (AI),
robotics, IOT and blockchain etc. These technologies are in use at every level
like from home to research projects.
This
year’s there are many platform those discussed about the many different ways in
which digital technology provide the next level support in achieving SDGs. For
example, technology might help minimize inequality by providing access to basic
services, such as e-health or online education. Moreover government makes sure
that the citizens are very much aware about the services and they feel
connected through services like e-government tools and citizens must use the
technological benefit. Information management and its privacy and security
policy should be ensuring by the government to better connect to their citizens
and to improve citizen’s participation. ICT has the potential to transform the
manufacturing sector through advancements such as IOT, cloud and robotics – all
of which reduce costs, increase efficiency and drive economic growth.
The
deployment of new technologies could be essential for achieving the SDGs,
considering the need for accelerated progress to fulfil the goals by 2030. At
the same time, as new technologies are usually unavailable to marginalised
populations, it will be a key challenge to ensure that no one is left behind in
the fourth industrial revolution, as new innovations often exacerbate existing
divides in society between those who can benefit and those who are left behind.
In addition, with the current speed of innovation, there are many opportunities
and risks that are still unknown but could rapidly crystallise, without
regulators being able to respond in a timely manner. Therefore, it is
imperative for decision-makers to be aware of, and to understand technological
change as much as possible. In the words of the Ministerial Declaration, ‘the
introduction of new technologies should never blind us from our pledge to leave
no one behind’.
Assistant Professor
Department of Management Studies
