Smart Villages in Azerbaijan : A Framework for Analysis and Roadmap
This paper is the main output of an analytical and research program aimed at identifying policy options to develop technology and social innovation driven smart village approaches that can improve service delivery and local economic development in...
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| Format: | Report |
| Language: | English |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2021
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/850411618551167188/Smart-Villages-in-Azerbaijan-A-Framework-for-Analysis-and-Roadmap http://hdl.handle.net/10986/35468 |
| Summary: | This paper is the main output of an
analytical and research program aimed at identifying policy
options to develop technology and social innovation driven
smart village approaches that can improve service delivery
and local economic development in rural areas. The concept
of smart villages focuses on enabling communities - in
partnership with local government and the private sector -
to identify opportunities and solutions that are right for
their own areas based on demand (bottom-up and participatory
needs assessment), on transferring knowledge and innovation,
and on policy incentives. With these three elements in
place, customized smart solutions for rural areas can result
in greater local economic development with better
connectivity and improved services, increased livelihoods
and incomes, and improved quality of life. The paper is
presented in six sections, each representing an element of
the research and analysis undertaken to define and apply the
concept of smart villages in Azerbaijan. The first section
presents the context of rural development, particularly
aspects which relate to the rural-urban divide, public
policies, and programs aimed at advancing rural development,
as well as the digital dimensions of development. The second
section introduces the concept of smart villages. What does
this mean? How do other countries apply this term? What are
the core principles and elements? Following from the
definition and global examples of smart villages, the paper
lays out a framework for assessing the smart village
readiness of villages in Azerbaijan, viewing them as spatial
clusters and drawing on global big data and national data
sources to rank village clusters with common spatial
characteristics as the most versus the least ready to apply
smart village approaches. |
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