Exploring the ICT and Rural Poverty Reduction Link: Community Telecenters and Rural Livelihoods in Wu'an, China

Abstract

Applying the ‘Rural Livelihoods’ framework of analysis, this study explores the link between information and communication technologies (ICTs) and rural poverty reduction by analyzing the role of community telecenters in enhancing the livelihood strategies of rural poor households. The ‘Rural Livelihoods’ framework argues that interventions that play a role in facilitating an increase in the poor's livelihood assets and resources and facilitate diversified livelihoods have a potential for reducing poverty. Using telecenters set up by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the China Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) in selected rural villages in Wu'an, China as case studies, the paper explores the direct and indirect role that telecenters play in facilitating the poor's access to more livelihood resources and assets and in influencing the adoption of diverse livelihood strategies. Findings show that while the intensity of the changes experienced cannot support the claims about the transformative role of telecenters on the rural poor, these have some positive implications on certain aspects of rural poverty. These implications extend not only to economic aspects (such as better earnings or production), but to human (such as e-literacy and new farming techniques) and social (such as creation of venues for community integration and knowledge sharing) dimensions. The paper gives emphasis on specific conditions and factors that motivate rural communities to use telecenter facilities and obtain useful information, and those that facilitate the translation of information into the construction of diversified livelihood strategies.