The World-Wide Web and sustainable development

Since WEDC was formed in 1971, it has been committed to keeping alumni, their sponsors and other supporters in touch with current activities and new initiatives; to disseminating the results of its research; and to sharing experiences gained from consultancy assignments undertaken in many low- and middle-income countries throughout the world. As a means of extending this commitment, WEDC is developing a site on the World-Wide Web, one of the latest developments of the Internet — the global network of hundreds of thousands of personal computers. This paper examines the nature of the ‘Web’ and considers the extent to which it may be used as an effective communication tool for sustainable development. It introduces the WEDC site and those with which WEDC is closely linked.