Top

Published in:

2022 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

17. Emerging Technologies and Innovation to Reach Out to Vulnerable Populations in Nepal

Authors : U. Kharel, A. Sigdel, S. Uprety, T. Ng’ong’a, J. I. Ginting

Published in: Technology Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development

Publisher: Springer Nature Singapore

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config

AI-assisted search

Off

Abstract

In the dawn of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) shaped by Artificial Intelligence (AI) blockchain, Internet of Things, multiverse, and quantum computing, the emphasis on creativity and innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology development also affect the ways the so-called non-profit sectors design and implement development and humanitarian programmes in developing countries like Nepal. Following the 2015 Nepal Earthquake Response, World Vision International Nepal (WVI Nepal) has ideated, prototyped, and scaled up community-focused innovative solutions like SIKKA, KITAB Bazar, and Participatory Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA) tools integrated into its development and humanitarian initiatives. SIKKA uses blockchain technology to ensure cash and voucher distributions are transparent and trackable, and the system has been used to assist 92,788 people during the COVID-19 response. Similarly, KITAB Bazar, an online marketplace platform, has served 53,412 children in 831 community schools by providing 133,008 supplementary reading books in local languages through the platform. Likewise, the PDRA tool capacitates communities to identify disaster-prone areas and engage stakeholders for response through mobile applications.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 102.000 Bücher
über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Automobil + Motoren
Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
Finance + Banking
Management + Führung
Marketing + Vertrieb
Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Springer Professional "Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 67.000 Bücher
über 390 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Automobil + Motoren
Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 67.000 Bücher
über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Finance + Banking
Management + Führung
Marketing + Vertrieb
Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

previous chapter A Sustainable Water Supply Business Model by Utilization of the Innovative Water Flocculants, a Case Study in Bagamoyo, Tanzania

The Fifteenth National Plan was drafted with the long-term vision of fulfilling the shared national aspiration for “Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali” by making Nepal a high-income country by 2043 (National Planning Commission 2020).

Digital Nepal Framework is underpinned by a flagship programme called “Digital Nepal Programme” designed to enable Nepal to harness its growth potential by leveraging disruptive technologies and driving socioeconomic growth. The program is expected to deliver an impact of up to NPR 800 billion by 2022 (MoICT 2019).

American Red Cross and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (2015) A vision for the humanitarian use of emerging technology for emerging needs. https://www.alnap.org/system/files/content/resource/files/main/a-vision-for-the-humanitarian-use-of-emerging-technology-for-emerging-needs.pdf

Arora N, Banerjee AK, Narasu ML (2020) The role of artificial intelligence in tackling COVID-19. Futur Virol 15(11):717–724. https://doi.org/10.2217/fvl-2020-0130CrossRef

Awale S (2019) Bringing Silicon Valley to Kathmandu Valley: artifical intelligence is here, better get used to it. https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/bringing-silicon-valley-to-kathmandu-valley/. Accessed 13 Aug 2021

Baah B (2019) Mobilising cash and voucher assistance programmes: the case for mobile money. Glob Syst Mob Commun (GSMA). https://doi.org/10.31826/9781463236762-tocCrossRef

BBC (2018) The country where Facebook posts whipped up hate [Online]. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-45449938. Accessed 17 Sept 2021

Bossman J (2016) Top 9 ethical issues in artificial intelligence. World Economic Forum. [Online]. Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/10/top-10-ethical-issues-in-artificial-intelligence/. Accessed 15 Dec 2021

Brown S, Budimir M, Upadhyay Crawford S, Clements R, Sneddon A (2019) Gender and age inequality of disaster risk: research paper, UNICEF and UN Women. https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Gender%20and%20age%20inequality%20of%20disaster%20risk.pdf. Accessed 14 Dec 2021

Burki T (2020) Global shortage of personal protective equipment. Lancet Infect Dis 20(7):785–786. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30501-6CrossRef

Casswell J (2019) Navigating the shift to digital humanitarian assistance: lessons from the International Rescue Committee’s experience. Glob Syst Mob Commun (GSMA). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajodo.2019.01.008CrossRef

CROWD 360 (2018) Using biometrics and blockchain technology, iRespond provides personal identification to vulnerable populations. https://crowd360.org/biometrics-blockchain-identification-vulnerable-populations/

Dahal S, Uprety S (2020) A bottom up approach to disaster risk management. https://www.spotlightnepal.com/2020/08/31/bottom-approach-disaster-risk-management/?cv=1. Accessed 13 Oct 2021

Desai VT, Diofasi A, Lu J (2018) The global identification challenge: who are the 1 billion people without proof of identity?. World Bank Blog. https://blogs.worldbank.org/voices/global-identification-challenge-who-are-1-billion-people-without-proof-identity

European Union (2019) Technological innovation for humanitarian aid and assistance. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank

Frouws B et al (2016) The use of ICT in contemporary mixed migration flows to Europe. RMMS briefing series, June, pp 1–16.

German Watch (2019) Global climate risk index 2021. [Online]. Available at: https://www.germanwatch.org/en/19777. Accessed 14 Oct 2021

Google (2019) Tracking our progress on flood forecasting. https://www.preventionweb.net/news/tracking-our-progress-flood-forecasting

Grpup WB (2018). Technology Landscape for Digital Identification. https://doi.org/10.1596/31825CrossRef

Hannides T et al (2016) Voices of refugees: information and communication needs of refugees in Greece and Germany, p 52. http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaaction/publications-and-resources/research/reports/voices-of-refugees

ICRC (2019a) Artificial intelligence and machine learning in anesthesiology. Anesthesiology 131(6):1346–1359. https://doi.org/10.1097/ALN.0000000000002694CrossRef

ICRC (2019b) Autonomy, artificial intelligence and robotics: technical aspects of human control. BioLaw J 1–4. https://www.icrc.org/en/document/autonomy-artificial-intelligence-and-robotics-technical-aspects-human-control%0Ahttps://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85076733203&origin=resultslist&sort=r-f&src=s&st1=Definition+of+artificial+intelligence&s

IFRC, ICRC and UNOHCA (2017) How to use social media to better engage people affected by crises, p 30. https://www.icrc.org/en/document/social-media-to-engage-with-affected-people

India - government (2018) India: government to team up with google for flood forecasting. https://www.preventionweb.net/news/india-government-team-google-flood-forecasting

Ingram M (2017) In some countries, fake news on Facebook is a matter of life and death. Columbia Journalism Review. https://www.cjr.org/author/mathew-ingram

Insilico Medicine (2020) To support the drug discovery efforts against coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. https://insilico.com/ncov-sprint

Inter-Agency Standing Committee (2020) Inter-agency standing committee IASC principals ad hoc meeting on the COVID-19 response

International Committee of the Red Cross (2017) Humanitarian futures for messaging apps: understanding the opportunities and risks for humanitarian action, p 98. https://shop.icrc.org/humanitarian-futures-for-messaging-apps.html

International Committee of the Red Cross (2019) International humanitarian law and the challenges of contemporary armed conflicts. Int Rev Red Cross. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1816383107001294CrossRef

International Committee of the Red Cross (2020) Handbook on data protection in humanitarian action, 2nd edn. International Committee of the Red Cross, pp 1–312. https://www.icrc.org/en/data-protection-humanitarian-action-handbook%0Ahttps://shop.icrc.org/e-books/handbook-on-data-protection-in-humanitarian-action.html

International Federation of Red Cross and Societies The cost of doing nothing. Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1214039

Ko V, Verity A (2016) Blockchain for the humanitarian sector: future opportunities. Digital Humanitarian Network, p. 17. https://www.academia.edu/30287787/Blockchain_For_The_Humanitarian_Sector_Future_Opportunities

Kogan V (2020) Three tips for managing resistance to change. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2020/06/15/three-tips-for-managing-resistance-to-change/?sh=2ffc26c9642b. Accessed 20 Dec 2021

Kuner C, Marelli M (2020) Handbook on data protection

Lemonick S (2020) Two groups use artificial intelligence to find compounds that could fight the novel coronavirus. c&en. https://cen.acs.org/physical-chemistry/computational-chemistry/Artificial-intelligence-finds-drug-that-could-fight-Wuhan-coronavirus/98/i6

Liu S (2021) Global blockchain solutions spending 2017–2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/800426/worldwide-blockchain-solutions-spending/

Massimo M (2020) Hacking humanitarians: moving towards a humanitarian cybersecurity strategy. ICRC Humanitarian Law & Policy Blog, 16 January

Meechaiya C, Wilkinson E, Lovell E, Brown S, Budimir M (2019) The governance of Nepal’s flood early warning system: opportunities under federalism - working paper. BRACED. https://cdn.odi.org/media/documents/12904.pdf. Accessed 14 Dec 2021

McCall B (2020) COVID-19 and artificial intelligence: protecting health-care workers and curbing the spread. Lancet Digit Health 2(4):e166–e167. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2589-7500(20)30054-6CrossRef

Misiura J, Verity A (2019) Chatbots in the humanitarian field concept, uses and shortfall. May

MoICT (2019) 2019 Digital Nepal framework: unlocking Nepal’s growth potential. [Online]. Available at: https://mocit.gov.np/application/resources/admin/uploads/source/EConsultation/EN%20Digital%20Nepal%20Framework%20V8.4%2015%20July%20%202019.pdf Accessed 14 Oct 2021

MoEST (2019) National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy 2019. https://moe.gov.np/assets/uploads/files/NSTI_Policy_2019.pdf. Accessed 19 Dec 2021

MoFAGA (2019) Needs and capacity assessment of fourteen rural and urban municipalities on disaster risk reduction and management in Nepal

MoHA (2017) Disaster risk management in Nepal: status, achievements, challenges and ways forward. Ministry of Home Affairs, Kathmandu. Retrieved from http://drrportal.gov.np/uploads/document/892.pdf

MoHA (2020) Nepal disaster risk reduction portal [Online]. Available at: http://drrportal.gov.np/. Accessed 14 Oct 2021

National Planning Commission (2015) Post disaster needs assessment: vol A: key findings. National Planning Commission, Kathmandu. Retrieved from https://www.npc.gov.np/images/category/PDNA_Volume_A.pdf

National Planning Commission (2020) The fifteenth plan - fiscal year 2019/20 - 2023/24. https://npc.gov.np/images/category/15th_plan_English_Version.pdf. Accessed 14 Dec 2021

National Reconstruction Authority (2020) About us - introduction. http://www.nra.gov.np/en/pages/view/fk2lRwucsHVwn9q-LAxpTW9mGJgIRz25rUWNDHdbkYk. Accessed 14 Dec 2021

Nepal P, Khanal NR, Sharma BP (2018) Policies and institutions for disaster risk management in Nepal: A review. Geogr J Nepal 11:1–24CrossRef

Nevo S (2019) An inside look at flood forecasting. https://ai.googleblog.com/2019/09/an-inside-look-at-flood-forecasting.html

NRB (2017) Foreign exchange management department. https://www.nrb.org.np/departments/fxm/. Accessed 16 Dec 2021

NRB (2021) Cryptocurrency related transaction directive. https://www.nrb.org.np/contents/uploads/2021/09/FXMD-Notice-03-207879-Cryptocurrency.pdf. Accessed 16 Dec 2021

Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiatives (2019) Country index. https://gain.nd.edu/our-work/country-index/rankings/. Accessed 14 Dec 2021

Open Knowledge Foundation (2021) Open data handbook. http://opendatahandbook.org/glossary/en/terms/open-data/. Accessed 10 May 2021

Piore A (2019) Can blockchain finally give us the digital privacy we deserve? https://www.newsweek.com/2019/03/08/can-blockchain-finally-give-us-digital-privacy-we-deserve-1340689.html

Pokharel T, Manandhar MD, Dahal A, Chalise B, Bhandari R, Kharel TP (2018) Political analysis of post-earthquake reconstruction in Nepal: an assessment of emerging role of local governments. Nepal Administrative Staff College and The Asia Foundation, Kathmandu. Assessed from https://asiafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Political-Economy-Analysis-of-Post-Earthquake.pdf

Radosta M, Lacourt M (2019) Strength in numbers – towards a more efficient humanitarian aid: pooling logistics resources. Reseau Logist Humanit 10(2):10

Salgado-Galvez MA (2018) Lost productivity due to internal displacement. Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, Geneva. Retrieved from http://www.internal-displacement.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/20180621-economic-impacts-nepal.pdf

Schneier B (2019) We must bridge the gap between technology and policymaking. Our future depends on it. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/11/we-must-bridge-the-gap-between-technology-and-policy-our-future-depends-on-it/. Accessed 20 Dec 2021

SIKKA (2019) SIKKA: how it works. https://sikka.wvnepal.org/. Accessed 11 Dec 2021

Simonite T (2020) Chinese hospitals deploy AI to help diagnose Covid-19. WIRED. https://www.wired.com/story/chinese-hospitals-deploy-ai-help-diagnose-covid-19/

The Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL) (2014) Messaging apps for development. Apps For Development. http://appsfordevelopment.challengepost.com/

UN (1948) Universal declaration of human rights. https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/udhr.pdf

UN (2021) Press release- CDP recommends for Nepal’s graduation from the LDC category. https://www.un.int/nepal/statements_speeches/press-release-cdp-recommends-nepal%E2%80%99s-graduation-ldc-category. Accessed 14 Dec 2021

UNDP (2018) Energy, environment, climate, and disaster risk management: in depth. https://www.np.undp.org/content/nepal/en/home/energy-environment-climate-and-disaster-risk-management/in-depth.html. Accessed 14 Dec 2021

UN Innovation Network (2020) A practical guide to using blockchain within the United Nations table of contents

United Nations Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) (2021) From digital promise to frontline practice : new and emerging technologies in, p 71. https://www.unocha.org/sites/unocha/files/OCHA Technology Report.pdf

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (2013) What is communication with communities? OCH on Message

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (2015) Shrinking the supply chain: hyperlocal manufacturing and 3D printing in humanitarian response, July

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) (2021) The state of open humanitarian data 2021: assessing data availability across humanitarian crises, pp 4–26

United Nations Office of Information and Communications Technology (2018a) Blockchain – what does it mean for the UN, June, pp 1–3

United Nations Office of Information and Communications Technology (2018b) What is machine learning? Mach Learn AI Healthc. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-6537-6_3CrossRef

Vordos N et al (2020) How 3D printing and social media tackles the PPE shortage during Covid – 19 pandemic. Saf Sci 130:104870. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2020.104870

World Bank (2017) Climbing higher: toward a middle income Nepal. https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/358501495199225866/climbing-higher-toward-a-middle-income-nepal. Accessed 14 Dec 2021

World Economic Forum (2016) The fourth industrial revolution: what it means and how to respond. weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond/. Accessed 12 Sept 2021

World Vision International (2010) The handbook of integrated programming. World Vision International, London, p 9

World Vision International (2020) 2020 Cash and voucher programming (CVP): roadmap and milestone achieved. https://www.wvi.org/publications/infographic/disaster-management/2020-cash-and-voucher-programming-cvp-roadmap-and. Accessed 08 Oct 2021

World Vision International Nepal (2021a) Nepal innovation lab. https://www.wvi.org/nepal-innovation-lab. Accessed 11 Oct 2021a

World Vision International Nepal (2021b) Disaster risk management programme. https://www.wvi.org/nepal/our-work/disaster-risk-management-programme. Accessed 11 Oct 2021b

Wright J, Verity A (2020) Artificial intelligence principles for vulnerable populations in humanitarian contexts

WVI Nepal (2020a) Participatory disaster risk assessment [Online]. Available at: https://pdra.wvnepal.org/#/about Accessed 23 Sept 2021

WVI Nepal (2020b) Nepal innovation lab: digital manufacturing [Online]. Available at: https://www.wvi.org/nepal-innovation-lab. Accessed 17 Nov 2021

Title: Emerging Technologies and Innovation to Reach Out to Vulnerable Populations in Nepal
Authors: U. Kharel
A. Sigdel
S. Uprety
T. Ng’ong’a
J. I. Ginting
Publisher: Springer Nature Singapore
Book: Technology Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development
Print ISBN: 978-981-19-2052-3

Electronic ISBN: 978-981-19-2053-0

Copyright Year: 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-2053-0_17

Springer Professional

Abstract

Please log in to get access to your license.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Springer Professional "Technik"

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"