Patna/Kathmandu : A journalist and an organisation from India have won ICT for Mountain Development Award 2016 in recognition and honour of their ICT-enabled innovations and practices, officials said on Monday.
The innovations and practices promote environmental sustainability and mountain development in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH). Two others, including one from Nepal and one from Pakistan, also won the same award.
“Pragya India and Sushil Chandra Bahuguna, a TV journalist, have won International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development’s third annual ICT for Mountain Development Award,” said an official of Kathmandu based ICIMOD.
“All four were selected for working on projects that can inform and be can inform and/or be replicated in mountain communities to improve safety and living standards,” the official said in a release.
They have won on the basis of their virtual reality for tourism, a crop database, a landslide warning system, and documentaries on Himalayan environment.
The ICT for Mountain Development Award is handed out each year on the occasion of International Mountain Day.
This year, ICIMOD received 29 submissions in five categories on water, livelihoods, ecosystem services, geospatial solutions and other. The competitors include a wide array of institutions including universities, donor-funded projects, and government-based initiatives.
Each of the winners selected this year received $250 for their efforts.
Pragya India, in collaboration with Pragya UK, has developed a comprehensive, accessible crop advisory database designed for online and offline use by agricultural extension workers and smallholding farmers.
The database enables farmers to access regularly updated agricultural production information for a variety of crops, including species for commercial and household use. Users can identify the most appropriate options for production based on climate, altitude, soil type, and water access.
The profile for each selected species includes detailed information on timing, sowing, planting, protection, pest control, and harvest.
Similarly, Sushil Chandra Bahuguna, a journalist with NDTV, has produced a series of documentaries on the Himalayan environment, which have aired on the NDTV network.
In very plain, easy-to-follow language, these videos promote awareness of environmental issues throughout the Himalaya, and simple means for engaging conservation in the region. The strength of the documentaries lies in its availability as digital content on the internet.