China SDNP Feasibility Study

CHINA'S SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
NETWORKING PROGRAM (CSDNP):
FEASIBILITY STUDY

PREPARED BY:

THE DIVISION OF INFORMATION NETWORK
ADMINISTRATIVE CENTRE FOR CHINA's AGENDA 21
AUGUST, 1995

This draft of the feasibility study on China's Sustainable Development Networking Program (CSDNP) was prepared in Chinese by Professor Yang Weili, Department of Electronic Engineering of Tsinghua University and Dr Zhou Hongchun of ACCA 21; the English version was completed by Ms. Emily Yeh, of MIT (S.M.); and the draft was finalized by Dr Wang Qiming, national coordinator of CSDNP as well as the Division Chief of the Information Network of ACCA 21.

Contact address:
Division of Information Network Administrative Centre for China's Agenda 21 109 Wanquanhe Road, Haidian District Beijing, 100080 P. R. China Telephone: +86 10 2588128, 2588127, 2610335, 2564400-2401 Fax: +86 10 2588127 E-mail: acca21@peastms.pku.edu.cn

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Abstract.....................................................................1

I.  Introduction.............................................................1
     1.1  Sustainable Development Networking Program (SDNP) .................1
     1.2  Major Principles SDNP .............................................1
     1.3  Principles for China's Sustainable Development Network Program ....3

II.  Review and Analysis of the Framework of CSDNP...........................4
     2.1  Review of the Prefeasibility Study of CSDNP........................4
     2.2  Choosing a Framework for CSDNP.....................................7

III.  Analysis of Institutions, Policies and Information Requirements 
      Related to CSDNP.......................................................8
     3.1  Institutions and Policies .........................................8
     3.2  China's Agenda 21 ................................................13
     3.3  Analysis of Information Sharing Resources ........................15
     3.4  International Environmental Information Systems (Infoterra) ......19

IV.  Technical Support for CSDNP ...........................................20
     4.1  Analysis of the Existing Public Networks .........................20
     4.2  Analysis of Existing Specialized Networks ........................24
     4.3  Consideration of General Framework and Program of CSDNP...........25

V.  Organization and Operation of CSDNP.....................................31
     5.1  The Interim Steering Committee ...................................31
     5.2  The Steering Committee of CSDNP ..................................32
     5.3  Executive Unit ...................................................32
     5.4  Implementation and management of CSDNP ...........................34
     5.5  Financial Self-Sustainability.....................................35

VI.  Participatory and Information Sharing Aspects of CSDNP  ...............37
     6.1  China's Agenda 21 ................................................37
     6.2  Information Coordinated by ACCA 21 ...............................37

VII. Budget Estimate .......................................................38
     7.1  Funds for construction of CSDNP management node ..................38
     7.2  Domestic and International Net Equipment .........................39

VIII.  Summary and Conclusions ............................................40

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Abstract

This feasibility study on China's Sustainable Development Networking Program examines the current status and future prospects for CSDNP in China. It reviews the UNDP concept of SDNP as well as the concerns raised by the prefeasibility study of China's SDNP, and elucidates a way in which the concept can be successfully implemented in China. General principles for CSDNP, ways in which the network can serve needs of different users, and the roles that the host organization and various stakeholders can play are discussed. Furthermore, technical and organizational aspects of network feasibility are explained.

The Division of Information Network of ACCA21 has been chosen as a host organization for CSDNP. Also, an Interim Steering Committee and funding mechanisms have both been established. The opportunities for more participation and an increasingly open atmosphere for information sharing in China were also considered, with the conclusion that CSDNP is both needed and feasible, contingent upon UNDP support through seed funding.

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I. Introduction

1.1 Sustainable Development Networking Program (SDNP)

The successful implementation of sustainable development is predicated upon
access to reliable information which informs decision making by government
institutions at all levels  as well as active participation by the general
public.  This goal can only be achieved through  open and rapid information
access and exchange among different segments of society.  Unfortunately,
however, most developing countries not only lack access to information resources
about sustainable development, but also face a variety of obstacles which
prevent this ready exchange and sharing of information. 

Following the United Nation's Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)
in 1992, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched a global
Sustainable Development Network Program (SDNP) in order to facilitate the
implementation of Agenda 21. This international program allocated seed funding
for national programs which would improve information exchange through
strengthening communication systems between users and sources for sustainable
development, and creating, in the long run, a stable and self-sustaining
environment for national information networks. 

1.2  Major Principles of SDNP

The UNDP has articulated nine major principles for the implementation of SDNP at the national level. 

(A) Participation      UNDP encourages participation from all segments of
                       society, from the national to the grassroots level, including government
                       agencies, academic and research institutions, commercial enterprises and
                       non-governmental organizations (NGO);

(B) Seed Funding         The financial and operational self-sufficiency of each country's
                         SDNP is especially important given that UNDP resources will
                         be available for only a limited period of time.

(C) Using Available Resources
                    SDNP aims not to establish new network infrastructures, but
                    rather to build wherever possible on existing networks, linking
                    sustainable development networks with domestic and
                    international partners. 

(D) Promotion of Sustainable Development 
                    In addition to environmental protection, the scope of   
                    information sharing in SDNP will include topics relating to
                    natural resource utilization and socially sustainable development,
                    ie poverty alleviation, population stabilization, etc. Ultimately,
                    the goal is to focus on any and all aspects of sustainable human
                    development. 

(E) National Connectivity     SDNP emphasizes the broad collection and dissemination of
                              integrated and comprehensive information on sustainable
                              development at a national level rather than focusing specifically
                              on the establishment of  a series of databases. 

(F) National Needs       As a consultative process among national institutions, each
                         SDNP is to be managed at the national level, in order to serve
                         the needs of the entire nation.

(G) Capacity Building    SDNP fosters capacity building through the establishment of a
                    host organization which not only handles day-to-day
                    management of  SNDP operation but also provides training
                    programs. 

(H) Agenda 21       SDNP should facilitate the formulation for a strategy for Agenda
                    21 in each developing country and  promote the implementation
                    of its action plan.

(I) Appropriate  Technology   SDNP should use only those information technologies
                              appropriate for the level of human and technical resources,
                              particularly existing network infrastructures, available in the
                              respective countries.


1.3  Principles for China's Sustainable Development Networking Program (CSDNP)

CSDNP is China's proposed Sustainable Development Networking Program.   It seeks to
follow the basic principles and spirit of the UNDP's Sustainable Development Networking
Program while also addressing China's specific institutional, social, technical, and
environmental needs and concerns in the area of sustainable development. 

1.3.1      Primary Objectives of CSDNP

     (a)  To introduce and connect Chinese governmental agencies, academic
          institutions, enterprises, NGOs, and the general public to various sources of
          international information on sustainable development via Internet.

     (b)  To develop information services which can facilitate the implementation of
          China's Agenda 21 at the central and local levels.

     (c)  To make available domestic sources of information to the international
          community via Internet. 

     (d)  To carry out comprehensive training programs which will assist in the
          implementation of CSDNP. 

1.3.2  Users of  CSDNP

Among the potential users of CSDNP are the following: 

     (a)  Government agencies 
          CSDNP provides information which can facilitate and rationalize macro-level
          decision making for various governmental stakeholders.  Furthermore,
          coordination and integration of government policies and plans will be
          strengthened through the exchange of information within government agencies. 
     (b)  Academic and Research institutions
          CSDNP will  rely  upon domestic research institutions to make existing
          databases increasingly available by creating information catalog, standardizing
          the format of databases, promoting information sharing, and strengthening 
          primary data analysis and processing capabilities. In particular, the creation of
          metadata is an important first step in approaching information sharing.
          Metadata refers to information about what information exists, where and how
          it can be obtained, what price if any needs to be paid, etc.  It will serve as both
          a pointer to and catalog of existing data. 

     (c)  Productive enterprises
          CSDNP will promote economic sustainable development by  meeting  industrial
          and commercial demand for information about clean production, 3R
          technology, and environmentally sound technology transfer. 

     (d)  NGOs 
          Currently there are very few NGOs in China which play the same social role
          as their Western counterparts.  However, the number of NGOs is expected to
          increase very rapidly in the future.  Thus, they have the potential to play a
          tremendous role in CSDNP, both in terms of information use and financial
          support for its operation.

1.3.3  Selection of Appropriate Technology for CSDNP

The technology selected for CSDNP's backbone network facilities should make full use of
existing public networking systems and telecommunication resources, and some special
purpose networks. In fact, many new specialized networks are being built as China's
nationwide information systems continues to develop rapidly.  The new Golden Bridge  project
is a good example of a network which in the future can be connected with CSDNP at low cost. 
CSDNP's design is forward looking in its inclusion of such projects.

CSDNP will be compatible with international network protocols and interface standards (such
as TCP/IP) in order to ensure easier connectivity and access. In addition, the technologies
selected in this initiative operation will leave room for future expansion, upgrading, and
integration with other systems.  As a result, CSDNP will not only serve national connectivity
needs, but it will also be ready for step by step performance improvement. 

To ensure the continued and best use of these information resources, CSDNP must respect
intellectual property rights, conform with copyright and patent regulations, and follow
reliability and safety standards as set by national security legislation. 

User demand is an essential factor in the consideration of which information resources and
other applicable technologies are to be developed and promoted by CSDNP.

The management node and coordinating institution of CSDNP should be chosen in a way
which allows technical exchange, cooperation, network construction and information usage
both domestically and abroad to improve and expand. 




II.  Review and Analysis of the Framework of CSDNP


2.1  Review of the Prefeasibility Study of CSDNP

In early 1993, two American experts employed by UNDP, Barbara Finamore and Husayn A.
Anwar, submitted a prefeasibility study based on a two-month investigation of the feasibility
of SDNP implementation in China.  After discussions with major institutions in Beijing, the
investigators concluded that despite China's commitment to sustainable development and
interest in the SDNP concept, there were still a variety of institutional constraints which stood
in the way.  In particular, there expressed concern about the lack of an information sharing
culture in China as understood in the UNDP SDNP model.  For example, the authors cited a
lack of communication and information exchange even within the line ministries.  Other
concerns included questions of the financial sustainability of an SDNP given the size and
complexity of Chinese needs, and the willingness to follow the paradigm of a strong individual
coordinator, independent secretariat, and a Steering  Committee comprised of all major actors. 
 Finally, the report stated that while the technical capability to support SDNP was
demonstrated, possible problems might arise from the lack of a national network.  At the time,
Internet was available only in a few locations such as Beijing, making a national linkage to the
international network difficult.

Based on these findings, the authors recommended that China's next step should be to select
an appropriate host organization for SDNP, select a Steering Committee, and identify priority
topics. The report concluded that the SDNP concept as formulated by UNDP headquarters
might not be feasible at the time in China, given the lack of an information sharing culture. 
In addition, the report proposed one alternative; namely, a traditional capacity building project
to provide SDNP to a group of universities and/or NGOs.  Finally, they suggested that the
UNDP allocate more funds to China for SDNP,  that the concept and financing be reevaluated,
and a feasibility study be completed. 

2.1.1  Changes Since 1993

There has been a great deal of progress, both technical and institutional, in China since the
writing of the prefeasibility report.  These include the establishment of the Administrative
Centre for China's Agenda 21, increased information sharing within the government, and a
proliferation of available information network resources.

(a)  Agenda 21
     As stated in "China's Agenda 21 - China's 21st Century Population, Environment, and
     Development White Paper" (or "China's Agenda 21"), coordination among
     departments of the State Council and local authorities in China has been become much
     stronger in the past few years, especially in the area of sustainable development
     implementation strategy.   First, the Administrative Centre for China's Agenda 21
     (ACCA21) has been established under the State Planning Commission and State
     Science and Technology Council to act as a leading group responsible for coordinating
     more than 50 line ministries in the State Council.  It has already drawn up the first
     national sustainable development program in the world -- China's Agenda 21. Through
     more than years of experience, the staff members of  ACCA21 have greatly increased
     their capacity to handle various affairs.  They now have the capacity to efficiently and
     solidly implement CSDNP in a down-to-earth manner in China.  This administrative
     centre, which is discussed in detail in section 2.2.1, has established many international
     and domestic ties amongst institutions with similar interests.  

(b)  Technical Progress 
     China has made great progress in the construction of telecommunications infrastructure. 
     For example, the Golden Bridge project, part of the Three Golden projects, is expected
     to establish a nationwide network by the year 2000.  Furthermore, by the end of 1996,
     China Educational and Research Network (CERNET) will connect 100 universities and
     research institutions across China, and open 64 or 128 Kbps information channels
     connecting Asia, Europe and the United States.  Other organizations such as the
     Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPT), the Ministry of Chemical Industry,
     and the Institute of High Energy Physics in the Chinese Academy of Sciences are all
     setting up their own information networks which are currently connected as well to
     Internet. 


(c)  Information sharing
     The authors of the prefeasibility report regarded the reluctance towards information-sharing within the Chinese government itself as an important barrier to SDNP.
     However, this institutional structure is showing signs of change.  By the end of 1995,
     there will be complete inter-access and information sharing capabilities among seven
     line ministries (the Ministries and State Bureaus of agriculture, forestry, seismology,
     geology, oceanography, meteorology, and water conservation).  Furthermore, the
     Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has already set up a Chinese National Resource
     and Environment Database for use by the government and by various research
     institutions.  GIS information is available from this database. Similarly, CAS, the State
     Planning Commission, and the Commission for the Integrated Survey of Natural
     Resources (CISNAR)  plan to establish a database on Resources, Environment, and
     Ecology in China.  It will make available data on land change, land use, climate
     change, environmental protection, etc.  These and other activities indicate that, within
     certain boundaries, information sharing in China is already becoming easier. 

     Institutionally, it is not feasible to implement a complete information sharing culture
     all at once. Instead, the approach taken by CSDNP will be to view it as a gradual, step-by-step process.  Increased access within the government has already begun. Over
     time, this can be expanded to the private sector, NGOs, etc.  

(d) Interim Steering Committee
     Another major concern raised by the prefeasibility study was whether a fair Steering
     Committee could be established.  In fact, China has not only chosen a host
     organization, but also an interim steering committee, and has commissioned this
     feasibility study.  The host organization for CSDNP is the Division of Information
     Network under the Administrative Centre for China's Agenda 21.  Currently, the
     steering committee consists of seven members with broad representation from a variety
     of sectors, including the government, NGO, and academia.  In the future, membership
     will be broadened to include members from other organizations as well, including a
     member from the SPC, MPT, private sector, NEPA, and possibly the State Bureau of
     Statistics.  More details about the interim and finalized steering committees is presented
     in Sections 5.1 and 5.2. Finally, the CSDNP is currently under the leadership of one
     national coordinator, as suggested by the UNDP model.

2.1.2  CSDNP vs A Traditional Capacity Building Project

The authors of the prefeasibility study suggested that if China could not reach consensus on
the basic focus, structure, and objectives of an SDNP, an alternative would be to fund a
traditional capacity building project to bring an SDNP-like  information network to one or
more universities and NGOs.  However, not only has China achieved the needed consensus
on the basic organization and focus of CSDNP, but it is also strongly believed that a traditional
capacity building project would not be appropriate for China's present needs and capabilities.

As conceived by the UNDP, the emphasis of each country's SDNP should be placed on
building connections at the national level.  In China, NGOs and academic institutions have
neither the scope of national influence nor access to information at the national level that the
government holds.  This is especially true given the extent of power and the sheer size of the
Chinese government in comparison with other sectors.  Furthermore, academic and research
institutions do not have the scope of technical infrastructure available to the national
government.  The Chinese government generally has much more up-to-date information and
organizational know-how than any other sector. Therefore, a capacity building project giving
network connectivity only to these other organizations can have only very limited influence. 
This is not in accordance with the UNDP's goal of spreading the SDNP concept to as wide an
audience as possible.

In addition to academia's lack of infrastructure, the latest information, and power as compared
to the Chinese government, another disadvantage of an SDNP-like network located in these
non-government organizations is their vested interest in the information.  Each NGO, academic
or research institution has specific interests and goals, thus making an SDNP located in their
jurisdiction more likely to be focused on their specific interests.  In addition, academic
institutions in China still hold a great deal of their information confidential limitation, which
constrains an information sharing project in their auspices. By contrast, the location of CSDNP
headquarters in the Division Information Network of ACCA21 guarantees that the host of
CSDNP will be neutral as far as the scope and distribution of information goes.  As a very
small organization with limited allowance of research or databases of its own, ACCA21 has
no vested interest in CSDNP other than helping it serve the needs of users from a wide range
of sectors. 

2.2  Choosing a Framework for CSDNP 

Several different frameworks were considered as possible structures for CSDNP, very similar
to the ones considered by Development Alternatives (explained in the Feasibility Study for
India's Sustainable Development Network). These options are explained below.

2.2.1  High Speed Backbone

This option entails the construction of a high speed backbone which would transport
sustainable development network information between different nodes.  However, this does
not follow the UNDP principles of building upon existing networks.  In addition, it would be
prohibitively expensive, and was thus rejected.

2.2.2  Host Organization as Daughter Network

Viewing the CSDNP host organization as a daughter network, ie taking the framework of
CSDNP to be a user network, would constrain users of CSDNP to be on a certain net. 
Although this option does have the benefit of being built on existing resources, it limits
severely participation in sustainable development because it involves only one organization. 
Thus this option was also rejected.

2.2.3  Host Organization as Mother Network

Modelling CSDNP as a network provider would facilitate participation from information
providers and users.  However, this framework again relies on resources that do not already
exist.  Thus, it will be very expensive to build and not feasible for China's SDNP.

2.2.4  Mediator or Middleman Approach

This option conceives of  the host organization of CSDNP as a mediator between information
sources and users, and as an intermediary between government agencies and other non-governmental organizations of all types.  This clearinghouse approach is based on the idea that
a lot of information about sustainable development already exists all over China, but what is
lacking is a way for users to know what other information exists and where to find it.  The
strengths of this approach are that it is relatively inexpensive, works with existing information
and resources, and avoids a monopoly of information by a party interested in only one type
of information.  The disadvantage of putting the host organization in the role of middleman
or administrative node is the extensive staff requirements that might be necessary to process
and put all of the information from various sources on CSDNP.  At the present time, the host
organization is very small.

2.2.5  Association of Existing Networks

In this framework, the host organization should simply function as a facilitator among different
already existing networks.  The advantages are that this system uses existing resources and
information, is decentralized, requires relatively little hardware, and is relatively inexpensive. 
The major disadvantage is that there is no guarantee that existing and appropriate networks will
join. 

Taking these considerations into account, the host organization decided that the most
appropriate form for CSDNP is a combination of (2.2.4) and (2.2.5), mediator and facilitator. 
In essence, the  host organization will act as a central administrative node or hub, which
facilitates information exchange between various networks and acts as a middleman between
users and sources of information, and between government and non-government organizations. 
As such, it is a relatively inexpensive option and takes full advantage of existing resources. 
Moreover, it guarantees participation to the full extent possible in China through ACCA21's
intimate tie with the government.  Finally, as a mediator the host organization can encourage
exchanges and recruit and link a broad spectrum of organizations and individuals interested in
sustainable development through CSDNP. 




III.  Analysis of Institutions, Policies and Information Requirements Related to CSDNP


3.1  Institutions and Policies 

The implementation of CSDNP will face the dual challenge of meeting the extensive
information requirements from each ministry of the State Council and local government bodies
while also overcoming the obstacles which presently prevent such information exchanges.  On
the one hand, agency independence and the division of responsibilities among state government
departments contributes to each department's lack of necessary data for informed decision-making.  Information sharing is often prevented by the fact that their programs are often either
overlapping or completely disjointed.  On the other hand, the lack of information channels
prevents scientific research results produced by certain institutes from being used by both
decision makers and the general public. 

3.1.1  Government Agencies, Policies, and Legislation

Virtually all of the ministries, commissions and agencies in China's vast bureaucracy have
offices at each of the five levels of administration: central, provincial, municipal, county and
township/enterprise, each with their own systems.

(a)  The National People's Congress (NPC) and Sustainable Development Legislation 

     The National People's Congress,  China's highest legislative body, is responsible for
     enacting and supervising the implementation of laws.  In particular, the NPC has paid
     a great deal of attention to the legislation of sustainable development. Thus far, China
     has issued four environmental protection laws, eight natural resource protection laws,
     more than twenty legislative regulations relating to pollution prevention, and three
     hundreds and twelve environmental standards.  Furthermore, China has signed over
     twenty international agreements relating to natural resources and the environment. 
     Relevant national laws, however, have not been established or completed.  Thus, there
     are still many gaps in the field of sustainable development in China.  

     To this end, the Planning Law, Atomic Energy Law and population, science and
     technology, and investment laws will be included in over 150 projects in the five-year
     legislative plan (1993-1998) of the Eighth National People's Congress. In the field of
     environmental protection, laws governing solid waste pollution control, noise pollution
     control, and radioactivity pollution control, hazardous chemical production control
     should be formulated.  Moreover, laws regarding atmospheric pollution prevention,
     water pollution prevention, ocean environmental protection, and general environmental
     protection will be revised. Five of out of eight resource protection laws (fishery,
     grasslands, water, mineral resources, and forestry) will be also revised and new laws
     on land use planning, desertification and others topics will be issued.

(b)  State Science and Technology Commission (SSTC)

     The State Science and Technology Commission is responsible for formulating science
     and technology (S&T) development plans, policies, and regulations; selecting and
     implementing national key S&T research projects; coordinating S&T development
     work at the provincial and local levels, and managing national S&T research projects
     and special scientific and technological plans.  A representative from SSTC is one
     member of the two leaders of Leading Group for ACCA21. 

(c)  State Planning Commission (SPC) 

     The State Planning Commission (SPC) formulates national economic and social
     development plans, supervises their implementation at the national and macro-level,
     and drafts related  regulations. After 1992, SSTC and SPC organized all agencies of
     the State Council to formulate and publish "China's Agenda 21", which will play a key
     role in guiding China's efforts towards integrating environmental protection and
     development.  SPC also has another member of the two leaders in the Leading Group
     of ACCA21.

(d)  State Economic and Trading Commission (SETC)

     The State Economic and Trading Commission is responsible for the formulation and
     implementation of laws, regulations and codes for large and middle sized enterprises,
     determining key projects to guide technological reform in these enterprises, and
     implementing projects in such areas as clean production and renewable energies. 

(e)  National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) 

     The National Environmental Protection Agency, which is responsible for environmental
     legislation and implementation, was given independent agency status in 1988 from the
     Ministry of Construction during the State Council's organizational reform.
     Environmental laws and regulations are enforced and implemented primarily by over
     2,300 local Environmental Protection Bureaus, most of which have set up their own
     environmental monitoring stations and institutes for supervision, research, training and
     education.

     Although NEPA is currently not represented in the immediate circle of CSDNP, ie, the
     Division of Information Network and Interim Steering Committee, it is expected to
     play a very significant role in CSDNP in the future.  NEPA has a wealth of relevant
     data on environmental protection, environmental economics, and the ecological
     sciences.  Once it is connected to CSDNP, NEPA's research will be more readily
     available to other sectors, to the benefit of both NEPA and the public.  Currently
     relations between NEPA and many sector ministries and bureaus is characterized by
     lack of cooperation and/or overlapping research and jurisdiction.  However, this
     situation is expected to improve to one of mutual cooperation once NEPA joins
     CSDNP, after about one year of trial operation.  NEPA will be an important CSDNP
     stakeholder.

(f)  Sector Ministries 

     Sector ministries such as the Ministries of Coal Mining, Chemical Industry,
     Transportation, Aviation, Metallurgy, Light Industry, Communications, Machine
     Building, Textiles and Railways are also responsible for environmental protection
     within their respective areas of jurisdiction. Although generally underfunded, the
     departments or offices at each level of government in these ministries are responsible
     for monitoring activities in state enterprises within their sectors. Environmental
     protection is becoming an increasingly important standard by which the performance
     of each ministry is measured. 

(g)  Ministry of Construction 

     The Ministry of Construction is responsible not only for the human environment, but
     also for urban infrastructure, water supply and drainage, sanitation, municipal solid
     waste management, urban traffic control, heating and gas supply, energy efficiency,
     alternative energy sources, and natural disaster alleviation.

(h)  Other Institutions 

     A number of other institutions sharing responsibility for environmental protection
     include the Ministry of Public Health, the Chinese Medicine Administrative Bureau and
     the National Nuclear Safety Administration.  Although each plays useful role in
     environmental protection, the coordination among these organizations and NEPA is
     lacking.

     The Ministries of Agriculture, Forestry, Water Resources, and Geology and Mineral
     Resources, and the State Land Management, Oceanographic and Meteorological
     Bureaus are dedicated to natural resource management and protection in China. These
     institutions generally have their own environmental protection bureaus, but the
     coordination among China's resource ministries, and NEPA is often characterized by
     a lack of cooperation, duplication of efforts, and barriers in information sharing. Areas
     of overlapping responsibility include the management of nature reserves, endangered
     species protection, and control of industrial pollution in rural areas.

3.1.2  Academic and Research Institutions

China has established many educational programmes in the environmental and ecological
disciplines. At present, 71 universities and colleges and 41 polytechnical schools offer a total
of 15 undergraduate majors and 86 seminars in the environmental sciences and technologies.
Over 8000 students matriculate each year from such programs. Furthermore, there are 107
departments offering Master's degrees in environmental science and 38 universities and
research institutes offering doctoral degrees in 14 environmental majors.  There are also a
number of postdoctoral positions available in these fields.  Despite the rapid growth of these
programs, there is still room for the development of more interdisciplinary curricula in the
areas of environmental economics, management, engineering, law and public health, and all
aspects of natural resource management.

In more than 600 universities and colleges in China, there are about 200 carrying out
environmental research, 15 of which have departments, institutes or research centers of
environmental engineering or science. They employ more than 1200 full-time research fellows,
30 percent of whom are at a senior level. A number of key academic institutions have
developed strong research and education programmes in various environmental and
developmental fields.

(a)  Peking University 

     Peking University's China Sustainable Developmental Research Centre specializes in
     the natural and social sciences, with divisions in atmospheric chemistry, meteorology,
     aerodynamics, ecology, environmental law, planning, management and impact
     assessment. It carries out sustainable development projects in cooperation with SSTC,
     NEPA and the Beijing municipal government.

(b)  Tsinghua University 

     Tsinghua University's Institute of Environmental Engineering is a leading institute of
     environmental engineering in China, with a staff of 14 professors and 22 associate
     professors who research, among others issues, global climate change and hazardous
     waste disposal. 

(c)  Beijing Normal University 

     The Environmental and Resource Centre of Beijing Normal University specializes in
     environmental impact assessment and environmental education, performs research work
     on natural disaster prevention in cooperation with the Chinese People's Insurance
     Company, and offers training for teachers on the national and global environment.

(d)  Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) 

     The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) plays a leading role in the fields of ecology,
     natural resource management and sustainable development. CAS includes 123
     institutes, over 40 of which do research in the areas of environment and natural
     resources. For example, the CAS research Centre for Eco--Environmental Sciences,
     with a staff of 516, promotes cooperation among environmental chemists, ecologists
     and geoscientists to solve ecological and environmental issues at the regional, national
     and global scales.

3.1.3  Non-Governmental Organizations

Non-governmental organizations in China consist primarily of professional academic, scientific
or industrial associations affiliated with government ministries. Dozens of such NGOs exist
in the field of environmentally sustainable development. For example, there is the Chinese
Society for Sustainable Development with its four special committees; the Chinese
Environmental Science Association; the Chinese Association of Environmental Protection
Industries, which promotes exchanges between the government and environmental protection
industries;  and the Chinese Association for Science and Technology, an umbrella organization
for all professional scientific societies and associations in China.

In the field of natural resource management, the list of NGOs includes the China Wildlife
Conservation Association, with a membership of over 30,000; the Ecological, Zoological,
Botanical, Geological, Oceanographic, Meteorological, Geographical, Land, Soils and
Forestry Societies of China, which carry out academic and educational programmes; the China
Research Society of Natural Resources; the Soil and Water Conservation Society; the Chinese
Association of Ecological Environmental Protection for Agriculture, and so forth.  These
NGOs are involved primarily in promoting academic, scientific and technological exchanges
and increasing public awareness of sustainable development issues.  These NGOs will
occasionally evaluate proposed projects or policies upon government request, but they
generally do not seek to influence environmental policy or participate in decision making.
They are for the most part dependent on governmental organizations for funding, office space,
and legitimacy, and are often located in the parent ministry's building and can be found on its
organizational chart. This situation may change as China's economic reform policies force
many NGOs to become financially self-sustaining and finally independent of their
governmental host organizations.

A number of international NGOs have been involved in environmental and natural resource
conservation projects in China. For example, the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWFN) has
been working with the Ministry of Forestry for over ten years and has formulated forest
actions together with China's Agenda 21. In October of 1994, WWFN held an international
workshop for wetland protection in Hunan Province with 15 ministries of Chinese government.
China has also established close ties with the World Conservation Union (WCN) and the
International Crane Foundation, as well as  dozens of professional scientific associations, such
as the World Engineering Association and the International Association for Water Quality. 
Some international NGOs have also opened offices in China.

3.1.4  Commercial Sector

Most enterprises in China are state--owned and directly managed by sector ministries.
However, the non-state-owned enterprises (locally-owned, private businesses), which now
constitute a third of China's total industrial output, are still developing quite rapidly.  By the
year 2000, the industrial output of non-state-owned enterprises is expected to be half of total
national industrial output.  Township and village enterprise managers  pollute to varying
extent, often due to the lack environmental protection consciousness and lack of awareness
regarding available technologies for environment protection.  As a result, township and village
enterprises can easily become large-scale  polluters in China. 

China has a small but growing environmental products and services industry.  Currently it is
insufficient for meeting the demands of environmental protection. 

3.2  China's Agenda 21

3.2.1 The formulation and Implementation of China's Agenda 21

After the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in June,
1992, the Chinese government established in accordance with the promises of the Conference
and with UNDP support, a leading group supervised by the State Planning Commission and
the State Science and Technology Commission (leading group) and including leading units of
the State Economic and Trading Commission and the National Environment Protection Agency
(vice leading group).  This group has in turn organized more than 300 professionals from the
relevant departments of 52 ministries, commissions, and agencies to formulate "China's
Agenda 21" and its relevant priority projects.  China's Agenda 21 was formally used by the
16th executive meeting of the State Council on March 25, 1994 as a national sustainable
development strategy. The establishment of the Agenda is considered a post-Rio milestone in
the field of environment and development and has thus stirred up quite a response from the
international community.

In order to effectively implement China's Agenda 21 and to widely seek financial and
technological support from the international community for the first tranche of priority
projects, SPC, SSTC, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNDP, with the approval of the
State Council, held a "High Level International Round Table Conference for China's Agenda
21" on July 7--9, 1994.  One hundred and seventy foreign participants from governments and
embassies of more than 20 countries, 13 UN organizations and international financial
organizations such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and more than 20 foreign
enterprises were in attendance.  There were also over 200 Chinese participants from the central
and local governments, scientific research institutes and academies, and commercial
enterprises.  In only one year, the leading group has made great progress not only in seeking
international cooperation for undertaking the priority projects of Agenda 21, but it has also
established an extensive set of relationships with international organizations concerned with
sustainable development. 

Currently UNDP assisted Phase II project is healthily going on, in which the main theme is
how to integrate the strategy of China's Agenda 21 into the national economic and social
development plans, particularly the Ninth-Five Year Plan (1996-2000), and the Phase III of
the UNDP assisted project is under formulation preparing for the initiation of local Agenda
21 implementation as well as conduct of the research on sustainable development indicator
systems in China.

3.2.2  The Administrative Centre for China's Agenda 21 (ACCA21) 

Supervised by the leading group of China's Agenda 21, the Administrative  Centre for China's
Agenda 21 was approved by the Chinese National Council of Staff to be responsible for the
day-to-day work in formulating and implementing China's sustainable development strategy.
Its main functions include:

  (a)  Formulation and implementation of China's Agenda 21 and its priority projects;
  (b)  Selection and proposal formulation of priority projects;
  (c)  Acting as information consultants and providing information services;
  (d)  Education and training for sustainable development and raising awareness of these      
    issues in the public domain. 

The hierarchical position of the Administrative Centre for China's Agenda 21 is shown in an
organization chart in Figure 1.




















The Division of Information Network in ACCA21 will be the host organization for CSDNP. 
As such, it will have access to some financial help from other ACCA21 projects.  One
important feature of ACCA21 is its size.  As a rather small group of individuals (currently
twenty), ACCA21 has no vested interest in the information kept by CSDNP and instead can
serve as a mediator between users and sources of information, and between the government
and other sectors.

Currently, the Division of Information Network, as part of ACCA21, has already started
building the technical infrastructure needed for CSDNP.  In particular, they have recently
achieved connections to Internet through Tsinghua University Network (TU net) and Peking
University Network (PU net).  The work that must follow, once funding is secured, is to
develop more sophisticated techniques for using Chinese language for communication on the
network.  Currently Chinese characters are entered as graphical data, but this system lacks the
ability to modify transmitted information.  Research at Tsinghua with ACCA 21 is now being
undertaken to change Chinese characters into codes.  More importantly, the Division of
Information Network is well on its way to building a technical infrastructure for hosting
CSDNP.

3.3. Analysis of Information Sharing Resources 

3.3.1  Computer Resources

By the end of 1994 China had an estimated 2,500,000 large, medium, and mini-computers,
PCs, registered information systems and databases more than 800, and 3,000,000 computer
professionals.  As China's economy continues to expand, these numbers will rise quickly, as
will the demand for data communication services and connectivity. 

China's financial sector consists of seven large banks, insurance companies and internal
investment centers.  By the end of 1994, the system included 80,000 PCs, 500 host computers,
and 30,000 computer professionals. More than 40,000 PC's serve the energy sector, which
invests over 300,000,000 Yuan for buying computers annually, and employs 20,000 computer
professionals. The railway sector, which owns 20,000 PCs and more than 600 computers,
invests more than 100,000,000 Yuan in computers each year, and the State Planning
Commission has over 5,000 PCs.  Its annual investment for computers is more than
100,000,000 Yuan. The State Planning Commission (SPC) has over 5000 PCs and National
Customs annually invests 10,000,000 Yuan to upgrade computer facilities.  About
US$200,000,000 in foreign funds have been promised for developing computer capabilities
in next five years in China.

Among the over 300 information systems registered at the First National Fair on Electronic
Information Application were systems dedicated to economics, education, tele-communications, science and technology, government investment, tourism, and library
services.  There is already quite a wide variety of computer systems available in China.

3.3.2  Key Information Systems

(a) Bureau of State Statistics (BSS) 

     The Bureau of State Statistics is possibly the most complete and comprehensive
     repository of statistical data in China.  BSS is heavily computerized, and is capable of
     data collection, analysis, and modelling. The information generated is used by the
     government in planning and decision-making at the highest level. BSS has also
     established a node in China and is planning to establish additional ones in Europe and
     the United States. Other government agencies do not have ready access to this
     information, although it appear that they have a great interest in obtaining original data
     from BSS. The availability of data to international organizations is also constrained
     because so much of the information databanks is confidential. When provided by BSS,
     the information is on magnetic media or hard copy and is very costly.

(b) National Information Centre (NIC) 

     The National Information Centre was established in 1987 and is administered by the
     State Planning Commission (SPC). The centre's databases, which provide the Chinese
     government with macro-policy and economic information, include data on China's
     natural resources, national regulations, international macroeconomic data, enterprise
     law, national investment, international funds, China products, and commodity prices.
     The national natural resources database has 12 catalogues which include land, water,
     biological, mineral, marine, tourist, labour, economic and basic facility resources,
     meteorological data, and natural disaster information.

(c) China Science and Technology Information Centre (CSTIC) 

     The China Science and Technology Information Centre, affiliated with SSTC, provides
     international and domestic information retrieval services through on--line satellite
     communication. The available databases include DIALOG, BRS, DRBIT, STN, ESA-IRS, ECHO, PFDS, PATASTAR, FRTECHNIK. The Domestic Information Retrieval
     Service (DIRS) provides national computer information retrieval network services using
     CHINAPAC and PSTN. More than 100 terminals have been connected to this system,
     which provides access to international and domestic databases. This system is
     connected with Stanford University via the Institute of High Energy Physics of the
     Chinese Academy of Sciences, but has an output capability of only 64Kbps information
     channel.

(d) Environmental Management System (EMS) 

     The Environmental Management System of China, administered by NEPA, gathers
     information at the national (NEPA), provincial (EPBs), municipality (city), county
     (EPBs) and township/enterprise levels. The data gathered by EMS includes data from
     monitoring  heavy polluters, which is compiled and transferred to provincial and
     national authorities by hard copy and magnetic media.

(e) Environmental Statistical System (ESS)

     The Environmental Statistical System  of ChMwa gathers data in 27 provinces, 3
     municipalities, 400 cities, 2000 counties and 8700 enterprises including data from 3000
     heavy polluters in various sectors. Environmental statistical data includes 17 different
     categories and 200 indexed data items dealing with issues such as environmental
     protection, discharge, pollution control, wastewater treatment operations, accidents,
     conservation, major construction, and so on. The system is partially networked at the
     provincial and national levels but most information transfer is achieved through
     magnetic media.

(f) World Data Centre 

     The World Data Centre (WDC--D), located in  Chinese Academy of Sciences, is part
     of a worldwide information network affiliated with the International Council of
     Scientific Unions (ICSU). WDC--D encompasses nine centers which collect
     geophysical, astronomical, meteorological, oceanographic, geomagnetic,
     environmental, renewable natural resources, glacial, seismological and global change
     data. The information is processed and stored in CAS and exchanged on a barter basis
     with other data centers throughout the world. The information, however, is not
     available to other Chinese groups within or outside CAS unless they are members of
     ICSU and agree to exchange information.

3.3.3  Available Databases and Information Sharing Resources for CSDNP's Trial Phase

CSDNP's trial phase will begin with a certain level of opening access to the information from
six databases and resources which have already expressed their willingness to participate in the
project.  These six are NIC and CSTIC, described above, and Cast, the Zhongguanchun
network, the Institute of Geology of State Seismological Bureau, and the Chinese Natural
Resource Comprehensive Investigating Commission, detailed below.  

(a)  The Cast China Economic Monitoring Centre (Cast)

     Cast is a non-governmental economic research and consulting organization created in
     April 1993 by the Developmental Research Centre of the State Council, BSS and
     Economic Daily Agency to monitor Chinese economic performance.  As such, it has
     accumulated a great deal of data, with primary databases including the "Chinese
     macroeconomic dynamic database", "Basic databases of 2400 counties and cities of
     China" and a number of professional databases. Included in the database are indicators
     of real growth, growth rates, and various indices. It is  compiled in C language, which
     will facilitate acquisition of unclassified data and its transmission to users via modem.

(b)  National Computing and Networking Facility of China (NCFC)

     The interconnection of Tsinghua University Network (TUnet), Peking University
     Network (PUnet), and Chinese Academy of Science Network (CASnet ) forms the
     Education and Research Network in the Zhongguanchun Area (NCFC) of Beijing City.
     Aside from providing e-mail, telnet, ftp, netnews, library, and other information
     searching services, NCFC also provides the following information sharing resources:

     -  The Basic Condition Database on Major Universities in China (connected to
     CERNET);
     -  The Social Education Information Database in China (The State Education
     Commission);
     -  Books, Information and Reference Materials Database (Beijing Library, Tsinghua
     University Library, Peking University Library, Library of Chinese Academy of
     Science and other libraries of universities and colleges);
     -  Database of Specialized Institutes and Major Information Centers in Key Universities
     (for example, Earth Science Database, Remote Sense Database in Peking University);
     -  Databases of the Subordinate Institutions of the Chinese Academy of Science (such
     as databases on population, national resources, geography, geology, remote sensing,
     atmospheric pollution, atmospheric physics, natural environment, botany etc.).

(c) Institute of Geology, State Seismological Bureau

     The National Working Group on Natural Disasters, created in 1988 under the
     sponsorship of the SSTC, SPC, and SETC, includes professionals from seven
     ministries: the Ministries of agriculture, forestry, seismology, geology, oceanography,
     meteorology, and water conversion, with the secretariat located in the Institute of
     Geology.  It is among these seven ministries that complete information sharing among
     government departments will first occur. The comprehensive database, compiled with
     Foxbase standards, on natural disasters and natural disaster history includes ten catalog
     of information: geological settings, time, place, scale, case, damages, economic loss,
     and social disturbance of natural disasters. Also, the database will network with the
     disaster databases of the seven ministries, using SYBASE. Figure 2 describes the way
     in which the seven line ministries are linked through network.



















     Figure 2. Suggestion of networking within 7 line ministries as well as the linkage to          the more comprehensive commissions for information sharing.

     This interdepartmental information sharing project is being undertaken by SSTC with
     the help of ACCA21.  Not only will there be complete database sharing capabilities
     among the seven ministries, but the metadata of this information will be made
     completely available on CSDNP through the work of ACCA21's Division of
     Information Network.  This project, which should be completed by the end of 1995,
     will be of great value to both research institutes and decision makers alike. In addition,
     it represents an important step towards the fostering of a more open atmosphere for
     information sharing within the government and hence, throughout China.

(d)  Information Commission for the Integrated Survey of Natural Resources (ICISNR)

     Since it was established 45 years ago, ICISNR has been carrying out comprehensive
     surveys of China's natural resources.  Through this work, it has collected a large body
     of information, which can categorized into three types: primary data, processed data
     (ie, averaged data), and commercially available data accessible by the public. This
     information is stored in several major databases including a comprehensive survey of
     Tibet's natural resources, a loesses plateau survey of west China, a survey of the hilly
     regions of south China, a map of spatial information (scale 1:1 million) about China's
     landuse, and spatial information on the geographical information on China's grassland
     and forest distribution. This data has been gathered and processed using Oracle and
     Sybase software. 

     In addition to having these natural resource databases, ICISNR also houses China's
     Ecology Research Network (CERN) which was constructed by the Chinese Academy
     of Sciences.   CERN provides information from 29 ecological monitoring stations and 
     covers a variety of topics including agriculture, forestry, oceanography, grasslands and
     inland lakes. These are located in 5 branch centers (biology, soil, moisture, air, and
     bodies of water).  CERN's construction and maintenance involves the participation of
     21 institutions within the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

(e) Others

     As part of CSDNP implementation, the Administrative Centre of China's Agenda 21
     will establish a series of professional databases which includes information resource
     catalogue data (metadata) as well as databases of sustainable development information,
     priority projects and professionals.  The centre will also directly management and
     operate CSDNP.

     CSDNP will provide available information, including periodically published
     information on the economy, society, environmental protection and resource use, to
     those members of the international community who wish to understand the progress and
     process of China's sustainable development. 

3.4  International Environment Information System (Infoterra)

In June of 1977, China officially joined the United Nations Environment Program's (UNEP)
Infoterra. The Ecological and Environmental Research Centre of Chinese Academy of Science
serves as Infoterra's Chinese node.

3.4.1  Review of General Operation 

Infoterra is a worldwide network for environmental information exchange.  It was set up by
UNEP to facilitate the full use and exchange of scattered information around the world.  In
addition, Infoterra also provides multi-level information services for environmental
management, decision making, planning and scientific research.

The Chinese contact node of Infoterra has developed 181 data sources on the environment
(1983), and has worked towards providing services to domestic and international users on
environmental information. The online inquiry system on the Infoterra Database was set up
in April 1981. By 1983, the "China Environment Documents Database" was established, and
service provision to users through personal computer systems began in 1988.  In order to
facilitate information sharing on the environment, the node established fixed exchanges with
relevant institutions abroad.  The United States, Japan, Sweden, Britain, France, Italy,
Germany and some Asian countries have all provided relevant information to China.

3.4.2  Experiences and Lessons

Organizational reform and the reduction in government financing have created a shortage of
funds with which to operate Infoterra, despite the principle that the "national connecting node
should be supported by the host government".  This inadequacy of basic facilities -- there is
only one microcomputer available -- made it difficult for Infoterra to communicate with the
international community. In fact, the lack of funds and basic facilities created a situation in
which China could only deal with domestic and international inquiries manually, with a
turnover of only  100-120 inquiries each year.  Thus, the application rate was very low.

The operational experiences of Infoterra demonstrate that without the necessary equipment,
and without proper management and operations, it is impossible to realize the objective of
ensuring  information sharing.  This should be remembered as we implement CSDNP. 




IV.  Technical Support for CSDNP


4.1. Analysis of the Existing Public Network

Along with rapid economic growth and policies of reform and openness,  China's development
has been marked by a great emphasis on the telecommunications and information network
infrastructure.  China has invested over 60 billion RMB in the information industry, which is
now growing at an annual rate of over 50%.  Various communication networks which have
been established in China form the basis for the implementation of CSDNP.

4.1.1  Public Switching Telephone Network (PSTN, PABX)

Program controlled telephone/data exchange networks have developed rapidly in China. The
capacity of PSTN is currently at 56 million lines, or a penetration rate of 3%, with a annual
growth rate of 70%.  Of these there are 21.22 million main lines. By the year 2000, the
capacity should reach 114 million lines, or a density of 8-9% (30-40% in cities),  and 93
million main lines. China will establish an integrated switching telecommunications network
through which every family in the city and every village in the countryside will have a
telephone, and through which data communications via modem will be readily accessible.. 

Aside from normal voice and fax transmissions, this network can transmit low speed digital
data through the analogue voice channel via modem or through a 2B+D digital channel via
a terminal adapter.  This technology will thus make a CSDNP connection accessible and
convenient for remote and scattered users.

4.1.2  Public Packet Switching Data Network (CHINAPAC)

Set up in 1993, CHINAPAC consists of 8 remote multiplexer/concentrators, 30 packet
assemblers/dissemblers and 30,000 access points which enable connections to 21 provinces and
267 cities. The system provides international connections to 18 countries including 36
international public data networks. There are plans to expand CHINAPAC's reach to over
90% of China's counties by the year 2000.

The existing CHINAPAC framework is shown in Figure 3.

The X.25 protocol has been adopted because it allows users to access remote hosts for data
exchange by means of a local phone call.  However, the normal transmission rate of 9.6Kbps
is quite low, and there is a relatively large timing delay. 

4.1.3  Digital Data Network (DDN)

Established in 1994, this network connects more than 600 cities with 60,000 access points, and
nearly all the counties in the coastal region. It is connected with 44 networks in 23 countries
and regions. By the year 2000, it will cover 60% of the country's cities. DDN is a new digital
network model which uses a low error optical fibre channel. It does not have X.25
disadvantages, namely less reliable error control, low speed, and large timing delay.  DDN 
provides a high speed (64-2048 Kbps or higher) and high quality digital network for terminal
to terminal connections. One disadvantage of applying DDN for communication is the cost of
the operation charge (at present, around RMB 3,000 Yuan per month of the rent for the
individuals) which is accounted rather costly. Figure 4 provides the state-of-art connectivity
of DDN framework in China up to the end of June of 1995.

4.1.4  Optical Fibre, Satellite, and Digital Microwave Backbone Network 

This backbone network will form China's primary "information highway".  In 1995, 22 large
capacity optical fibre communication main lines will be built to interconnect every provincial
capital (except Lhasa, Tibet). At present, more than ten lines have been completed, including
the longest Asia-Europe optical fibre line (Shanghai-Xi'an-Lanzhou -Urumqi-Yinin, 16,000
km in length) which was completed in March of 1995. Furthermore, China had already built
58,000 km of optical fibre main lines and 44,000 km of digital microwave lines by the end of
1994.

China plans to build a grid (8x8) of backbone optical-fibre networks (110,000 km) by the year 2000 which will cover most of the country. Including the satellite and digital microwave
communication network, there will be a total of 2.4 million long-distance circuits. This
network will also provide high quality and high capacity digital communication for CSDNP
and will be connected with other networks.  Figure 5 illustrates the backbone network.
























     Figure 5. China's communication backbones diagram



4.2  Analysis of Existing Specialized Networks

4.2.1 The "Golden Series" Network Project 

In order to promote the use and application of information network technology and to build
a basis for the future "information highway", the Chinese government has decided to
implement the Golden Series network, consisting of the Three Golden projects.  The Golden
Series project includes the Golden Bridge project (finance, economy), the Golden Card project
(money, bank), the Golden Gate project (trade, customs), the Golden Tax project (tax), the
Golden Sea project (macro-decision-making), the Golden Intelligence project (education,
science), the Golden Enterprises project (enterprises), the Golden Agriculture project
(agriculture), the Golden Bee project (manufacture), and the Golden Hygiene project (medical
treatment, hygiene). For example, the Golden Bridge project covers 400 cities nationwide and
links more than 100 specific networks in different sectors and areas. The project will also
make full use of existing PDN, DDN, PSTN, satellite, digital microwave and CATV nets. 
It will link databases of the national economic management sector, 10,000 large-scale and
middle-scale enterprises, major national engineering, scientific and educational bases, and will
be connected with international networks. The access points use the X.25, X.21, V.24, V.35,
G.703 or 2B+D and 30B+D protocols. In the first stage of the project, the data transmission
rate will probably be 144 Kbps-2048 Kbps. As the amount of information expands, the system
will be upgraded to a higher speed and broader bandwidth.

4.2.2  National Computing and Networking Facility of China (NCFC)

Beijing's NCFC is connected by optical fibre with a 10 Mbs transmission rate. It adopts the
prevailing TCP/IP standard, and is connected with PDN and DDN through a router. In May
of 1995, it was connected with Internet via SPRINT at 64 Kbps (See Figure 6). PUnet (Peking
Univ.) and TUnet (Tsinghua Univ.) use different network architectures, including FDDI (100
Mbps), LAN (10 Mbps), and PABX etc., and are connected into a continually growing,
comprehensive information network. CASnet is gradually becoming connected to scattered
institutes. The scale of NCFC has been expanding since 1992.  At the present time 3,000
computers in different institutes have been linked to NCFC, and with expected growth to 8,000
by the year 2000. 

4.2.3 China Education and Research Computer Network (CERNET)

Based on NCFC, CERNET  was set up in 1994 and spans the entire nation.  CERNET consists
of three levels: the backbone net, area net, and university net; and is divided into seven area
nets: Beijing, Northeast China, East China, South China, Northwest China and Southwest
China. The network management centre is located in Tsinghua University. Each area net links
the university and institutional nets in that region. Area nets are interconnected by DDN at a
speed of 64--2048 Kbps with all nets adopting TCP/IP.  University nets use FDDI or ATM
as a backbone, and there are LANs in each building. Remote or scattered users access the
backbone through PABX. By the end of 1995, all area nets should be interconnected and 100
key universities will be linked to CERNET. By 1996, there will be 300 universities on the net.
and by the year 2000, 1000 universities and 3000 institutions will join CERNET and be linked
with Internet via SPRINT.

Figure 7 illustrates CERNET network connectivity.

4.3  Consideration of General Framework and Program of CSDNP

The main architecture, interface and protocol of CSDNP should be designed and constructed 
in accordance with the level of demand and economic capacity. In the initial stage (or first
period), the general framework and program of CSDNP will be as follows: 

(1)  Set up a three level network which includes the network centre, area networks and
     information resources points/users;

(2)  Use high speed dedicated lines (64--2048K bps) from the public networks (for
          example, DDN) to connect the network centre with area networks;          (3)  Use public networks (DDN, CHINAPAC, PSTN/PABX) and other net equipment to
     connect CSDNP with major national networks (CERNET, NCFC, "the Golden Series
     Network");

(4)  Connect INTERNET and CSDNP through the network centre, using existing
     international ports (NCFC, CERNET, MPT). These connections should be 64K bps
     or higher;

(5)  Scattered users may dial to CSDNP via modem, PSTN/PABX. The speed will not be
     higher than 19.2K bps;

(6)  The network will adopt TCP/IP and other protocols and standards which are used by
     Internet, CERNET, and NCFC;

(7)  CSDNP will consider the use of ATM or higher speed lines (E3-34M bps) for network
     connections in the future.

The general framework is shown in Figure 8.

The backbone net will make full use of public digital data nets (DDN) to connect the network
centre, area nets and main information source points at a data transmission rate of 2.4--48K
bps or N x 64 K bps (n= 1-31), usually  64 K bps or 2048K bps. Users may now join CSDNP
through several different methods: two analog lines, two (or four) lines analog + modem,
base-band transmission, base-band transmission + TDM multiplexer, voice and data
multiplexer transmission, 2B+D terminal adapter and PCM digital transmission, etc. (See
Figure 9). Users can apply to the Ministry of  Post and Telecommunication for a connection
according their needs. V.35, G.703, V.24, and  RS-422A can also be used in the network.

Because the MPT has already set up a large scale DDN, the network centre, area nets and
main information source points can apply to join DDN and use this high-speed public digital
data network to form the backbone net of CSDNP. Users can also enter the net through the
X.25 public packet data net (CHINAPAC) in places where DDN is not available.  The
Administrative Centre of China's Agenda 21 will set up a network centre with all basic
functions needed by CSDNP, and will have Ethernet (LAN) with Client/Server functions,
workstations, servers and routers, all of which will adopt TCP/IP.

The transmission rate of the LAN is currently 10M bps and will be upgraded to 100M bps in
the future. The LAN uses a hub to connect PCs to the server, and it is  connected to DDN via
a 64K bps baseband modem through a router. The LAN can also use an Access Server or a
modem pool with a speed of 19.2K bps to connect PSTN and PABX for scattered users in
places where PDN and DDN are not available. The users can connect to the network centre
via direct dialling or PPP calling. This architecture is shown in Figure 10.

At present, this LAN is temporarily connected to INTERNET via CERNET. In accordance
with an agreement between the MPT and SPRINT Inc. signed in November 1994, the LAN
will connect Internet through SPRINT-LINK in the future.  Applications for IP addresses to
the Internet Asia department should begin to be made.



















          Figure 10. LAN network within ACCA 21 office building




V.  Organization and Operation of CSDNP


5.1  The Interim Steering Committee

An Interim Steering Committee has been set up by the Chinese government to facilitate the
development of CSDNP. Professor Gan Shijun, Director General of the Department of Social
Development, SSTC, is the committee director.  Its members are Professor Sun Honglie
former Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Science; Professor Liu Peizhe, Director
General of the Administrative Centre for China's Agenda 21; Mr Zhang Jiayuan, Secretary
of the Chinese Society for Sustainable Development; Professor Chi Huisheng, Vice President
of Peking University; Professor Ma Zongjin, Director of the National Working Group on
Natural Disasters; and Mr He Jin, Division Chief for Social Development of UNDP, Beijing.

Professor Gan Shijun heads the Office of the leading group for China's Agenda 21 and was
the Secretary General of the High Level Round Table Conference for China's Agenda 21 in
July 1994. He was responsible for designing and coordinating the White Paper on China's
Agenda 21 and is in charge of national science and technology in the fields of social
development. He is also experienced in international cooperation, having organized the Beijing
Ministerial Level Conference on Environment and Development in 1991 and having prepared
China's government document for UNCED in 1992. He has close contacts and good personal
relations with many international activists in the area of environment and development, and
thus is an appropriate choice for director of the Interim Steering Committee. 

Professor Sun Hongle is the former Vice President of Chinese Academy of Science, Vice
President of International Unit of Scientific Commission and the member of global Earth
Council. He has also done a great deal of work on information exchange within the institutes
of Academia Sinica and promoted information exchange and sharing in China. 

Other members of the Interim Steering Committee represent a broad range of interests,
including government management departments, non-governmental organizations, scientific
research institutions and universities. They will form the core of the future and finalized
Steering Committee of CSDNP.

5.2  The Steering Committee of CSDNP

The National Steering Committee (NSC) of CSDNP will be formed by modifying and adding
a number of members who represent key interests in CSDNP to the current Interim Steering
Committee. Final membership will be around 12 people. The following members will be
included.

(1)       An officer from the State Planning Commission who is in charge of information
          management.  This will ensure access to information from the National Information
          Centre (NIC) so that basic country data and information on macroeconomic policy,
          legislation, regulations, and government activities are made available;

(2)  An officer from the State Economy and Trade Commission in charge of enterprise
     information.  This will ensure that the major enterprise database (COMEDY) can be
     accessed as a independent file by the international business community through
     internet. This will facilitate the purchasing of goods and the efficient selection of
     cooperative partners in sustainable development;

(3)  An officer from the National Environment Protection Bureau in charge of
     environmental information. This will not only facilitate of Chinese environmental
     information into the net, but will also make easier information collection on
     environmental protection;

(4)  An officer from the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication in charge of
     telecommunication management, in order to  facilitate interconnections of CSDNP to
     the entire country;

(5)  A member from state-owned enterprises in order to encourage the flow of enterprise
     information;

(6)  A member from private enterprises.

This organizational structure has been designed to promote information exchange and sharing
on sustainable development in China.

5.3  Executive Unit

The executive unit of CSDNP is the Division of Information Network of ACCA 21 being
under the leadership of Steering Committee and the direction of the leading group of China's
Agenda 21, responsible for collecting sustainable development information and disseminating
information to the government, academic institutes, and enterprises. The Administrative Centre
of China's Agenda 21 has chosen the College of Information Science and Technology,
Tsinghua University as the technical support unit for CSDNP.  They are responsible for
CSDNP architecture design. 

5.3.1  Division of Information Network of the Administrative Centre of China's Agenda 21

The Division of Information Network bears primary responsibility for CSDNP and will act as
its centre.  As such, it is responsible for information collection, storage and dissemination. It
will build databases for sustainable development, expert consultative information, priority
projects, etc.  One important aspect of their work will be handled by experts in the Division
who handle day-to-day work, and help network units solve technical problems such as
international standards, data and image transmission.

The UNDP has supported a Phase II project to help the Chinese government execute China's
Agenda 21 through Capacity 21 Funding.  As part of the Phase II, sent two technicians to a
one month training course on SDNP technology at CIESIN in the University of Michigan.
These technicians are now familiar with computers and are skilful in handling communication
problems. This will help the Division of Information Network train its LAN operators and
personnel for information retrieval. The organization of the Division is shown in Figure 11.

















          Figure 11  Draft diagram of CSDNP organizations

5.3.2  College of Information Science and Technology, Tsinghua University

This college consists of Departments of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and
Technology, Automation, and an Institute of Microelectronics. It has 29 research groups, 23
laboratories, and 4 key national laboratories and research centers. They are very strong in
education, research, development and training.  In addition, there are many experts in
technical research, equipment development, system design, and engineering design in the fields
of communication, microelectronics, computer, and information network in the college. Since
1987, they have participated in and overseen planning and construction of TUnet and NCFC,
from which they have gained a great deal of experience.  Since 1994, the Centre for Network
Engineering has also been entrusted by the State Education Commission and the State Planning
Commission with responsibility for the construction of CERNET. CERNET will link major
universities and institutes, and will be connected with Internet via its own channels. Their
experience will provide vital expertise and technical support for the implementation of
CSDNP.

5.4  Implementation and Management of CSDNP

The implementation of CSDNP is new in China and hence faces several obstacles.  First, the
lack of an information-sharing culture will significantly affect the implementation of CSDNP. 
This is already changing slowly, and more work must be done in this respect;  attitudes
towards information must change from viewing it as private, department, and area property, 
to something that can and should be shared.  Such institutional and cultural changes can only
occur gradually.  However, the creation of CSDNP not only relies on such changes, but can
also act as a catalyst for them to occur.

Furthermore, certain databases residing in different sectors have not followed international
standards and are thus inaccessible to other people.  A concerted effort is needed to modify
their format to make them compatible with the network.  In addition, techniques and software
for image transmission, net information retrieving, and program management must be
developed. These changes cannot occur overnight.  Therefore,  CSDNP operation should be
divided into several phases.

5.4.1  Test-Running Phase 

In the first phase of CSDNP implementation,  a telephone line was rented to connect
computers in the Division of Information Network of the Administrative Centre of China's
Agenda 21 with the networks of Tsinghua University and Peking University via a 19.2K bps
modem, and with Internet through NCFC's optical fibre. This was completed in June of 1995,
and the LAN of the Administration Centre will be completed by the end of 1995. This LAN
will use twisted lines to link 15 station points, connect to DDN,  access the education net of
Tsinghua University through a router and a HUB,  and network with Internet  through three
64 K bps channels.

The human resources of Tsinghua University and Peking University will be used for software
development, net information management and processing, with additional support from
ACCA21 specialists. The USA's CIESIN will help the Administration Centre build a data and
software management node in their first phase of cooperation.

During this trial phase, the UNDP will invest US$300,000 and the Chinese government will
contribute 4 million RMB over a period of 3 years.

5.4.2  Normal Operation Phase

After the 3 year trial phase, CSDNP operation will be hopefully financed by both government
investment (1 million RMB per annum) and commercial and other means (see next section).
Because the construction of many government department databases is funded by SSTC and
SPC, both SPC and SSTC will provide these bureaus (such as the Bureaus of Oceanography,
Seismology, National Information Centre, etc) with a strong incentive to share their
information through CSDNP.  However, the result of this institutional structure is that
ACCA21, also partially under the guidance of SSTC and SPC, cannot charge these same
bureaus for their use of CSDNP.  Therefore, intergovernmental information sharing through
CSDNP will be free of charge.  Instead, money to support use of CSDNP by any branch of
the government will come directly through the 1 million RMB per annum promised to
CSDNP.

This lump sum government investment will be used for the following : 

(a)       To provide sustainable development information or sources to different levels of the
          government for decision-making. This information includes material on environmental
          quality, laws and regulations, environment regulation documents, population, health
          and hygiene, inhabitable environment, natural and artificial disasters, natural resources,
          etc.; 

(b)  To maintain and upgrade communication equipment.

(c)  To develop key software techniques for CSDNP, for example, image and text
     compression and transmission, data base standardization, and CSDNP decision-making
     management software. .

5.5  Financial Self-Sustainability

The basic purpose of CSDNP is to encourage information sharing, to facilitate implementation
of China's Agenda 21, and to promote the sustainable development of China.  As such,
CSDNP will be nonprofit in nature.  Given this, one important concern raised in the
prefeasibility study was the question of  CSDNP's financial self - sustainability.  There are in
fact six channels through which funding for CSDNP may come after the trial period. 
However, the three years are needed to gain experience and seek out these sources of funding,
after which it is predicted that financial self-sustainability can be achieved.  These sources are
as follows:

5.5.1  NGOs and Commercial Enterprises

Whereas information sharing within the government will be free, a small fee will be charged
to the NGO and private sector  to contribute to CSDNP operation and maintenance.  This fee
will be determined according to international standards of cost recovery for network linking
time, equipment maintenance, and fees for international database retrieval. Currently the
number of commercial enterprises and NGOs with access to networking technologies is quite
limited, but this situation is changing rapidly.  As China's economy continues to grow, more
and more commercial enterprises and NGOs will have the ability and desire to access CSDNP. 
As this happens, the private and NGO sector will be able to help support the operation of
CSDNP.

5.5.2  Other ACCA21 Projects 

Some of ACCA21's other projects, such as the foundation of an Environmentally Sound
Technology Transfer Centre, will be able to raise money from users by commercial means. 
Their revenue will not only cover the operation and administration of these projects, but may
also be used in part for CSDNP expenses.

5.5.3  Fees from Specialized Researches 

All of the information about Agenda 21 that ACCA21 is providing on the net will be free of
charge.  However, if clients, especially commercial enterprises, approach ACCA21 with very
specific tasks, they may be charged a fee.  For instance, if a local industry hires ACCA21 to
research and obtain a specific clean technology from foreign sources, they will be charged for
this service. This revenue will also partly cover operation and administration of ACCA21
itself, as well as CSDNP.

5.5.4  Consultancy Services

Currently Agenda 21 has established a network of over 300 experts in the various fields
relating to sustainable development.  When clients come to Agenda 21 looking for the
consultancy services of  these experts, they must pay a fee.  These funds may help cover
CSDNP costs.

5.5.5 Funding Agencies 

The Division of Information Centre will investigate the possibility of seeking aid from
domestic and international funding agencies such as the China Environment Fund, UNIDO,
or the European Union which is already investigating an opportunity to support  an
international training centre together with ACCA21.

5.5.6  Training Courses

ACCA21 will offer technical training courses on both the national standards needed for
connections to CSDNP, and on broader Agenda 21 issues.  Course tuition fees constitute yet
another possible source of funding for CSDNP.

As stated above, there are still many unknowns (ie, number of users, etc) at this stage of
CSDNP development.  More details regarding available funding for the financial operation of
CSDNP will be forthcoming in the next three years of trial operation.  It is hoped and
expected, however, that financial sustainability can be achieved.




VI.  Participatory and Information Sharing Aspects of CSDNP
 

UNDP support for CSDNP is predicated upon the participation of a wide spectrum of
institutions from different sectors of society and the agreement of participating institutions to
open up their information resources.  The question of participation and access for China's
SDNP was raised as an important issue in the prefeasibility study. 

There is little question that the traditional institutional and social structures of China have not
been  conducive to open participation.  However, things are changing, especially with
economic liberalization and ongoing economic and social reform.  Opening information
channels within China not only requires the participation of various sectors, but further fosters
a participatory atmosphere.  Thus, CSDNP can begin to function in this time of increasing
participation and change.  In particular, there are two tiers of openness and participation as
conceived by CSDNP.

6.1  China's Agenda 21

All information about the implementation of Agenda 21 will be made available  and free of
charge to the public by the Administrative Centre for China's Agenda 21.  This includes
newsletters, annual reports, progress reports on the implementation of Agenda 21 projects, and
guidelines for local agenda 21 preparation.  Various research, including the ongoing work on
indicators for sustainability, may also be made available to the public.  This tier thus represents
a level of full participation from all sectors of  society,  because any individual, NGO,
government organization, or business can access this information and comment on it to
ACCA21.  This will be especially conducive to increasing public awareness and creating space
for dialog about sustainable development in general, and the implementation of China's
Agenda 21 in particular.

Furthermore, certain institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences will want to put
their information onto CSDNP, to be made available for all interested parties.  CAS has
already reached an agreement with ACCA21 to make information from their evaluation and
monitoring centre freely available.  As more institutions see the benefits of allowing public and
other sector participation and access to their work, more are expected to volunteer their
information.

6.2  Information Coordinated by ACCA21

Currently the vast  majority of information in China resides in two places: the government,
and academic and research institutions.  For the most part, commercial enterprises are not yet
computerized, which makes network information sharing quite difficult for, although they are
eventually expected to play a very large role in CSDNP.  For now, however, the best place
to start promoting information sharing is in the government.  

The information coordinated by Agenda 21, much of it from various government ministries
and bureaus, thus constitute this second level of information sharing.  For political and
institutional reasons, it is impossible for all information from the government to be made freely
available.  This is true of any government around the world, and particularly of China. 
Instead, CSDNP will start by making metadata available.  Simply informing the public and
other sectors about what information is available  and where it can be found  significantly
increases the prospects for participation in sustainable development policy.   This is a very
important first step in the right direction. 

One final aspect of  increased participation is the freeing of information sharing within the line
ministries.  By starting this political and institutional change towards a more participatory
atmosphere within a certain scope,  CSDNP can facilitate a smooth transition towards later
changes on a larger scale. 




VII.  Budget Estimate 

In 1996-1998, the total investments to CSDNP will be  US$ 300,000 and RMB 4,000,000
Yuan in which 1 million RMB input will be added to the government cost share for the use of
procurement of facilities of CSDNP, and the rest Chinese RMB input, ie, 3 million RMB will
be the investment in kind for the CSDNP office infrastructure, staff recruitment and office
facilities, and so on. The details are as follows:

7.1  International funds requested for the construction of the CSDNP management node


(1)     Computers and Node Software       Units     Cost (in US Dollars)
        Server/Sun Series                 1         18,000
        Personal Computer                 7         16,000
        Maintainace Contract                         4,000
(2)     Net Equipment                                
        HUB/D-LINK DE-816                 2            700
        Router                            1          6,000
        Terminal server/3com access 
           server                         1          2,000
        Base-band modem/ASM-20 
        (64K bps)                         2          4,000
        Modem Pool/Multitech (19.2K bps)  5          2,400
        Net Adaptor/3Com 3C509            10         1,000
        Connection and Installation                  3,500
(3)     Input and Output Equipment
        Scanner                           1          1,200
        Fax                               1          1,000
        Laser printer                     2          2,000
        Tape driver                       1          1,500
        CD-ROM                            6          2,200
        OCR                               1          1,500
        Multimedia card                   5          1,500
(4)     Database and Application Software            4,600
(5)     Computer Room and Facilities                 6,000
(6)     Others                                       3,900
     Total                                          83,000


7.2  Domestic and International Networking and Communications

International funds for networking and communications

                            Components
                             Total
                                
                                
                      (1)   Project Personnel:
                                
                                
                                
                       Chief Technical Advisor (CTA)
                             15,000
                                
                                
                       International Consultant (IC)
                             10,000
                                
                                
                          National Professionals
                              30,000


           Project Formulation
                              26,000


     Sub Total
                              81,000


    (2)   Training and Workshop



           Curricula Development
                              16,000


           In-Service Training
                              40,000


           Workshops
                              20,000


           Out-Country Meetings/Conferences
                              20,000


           CIESIN Training
                              11,000


     Sub Total
                             107,000


    (3)   Equipment/Networking/Research



           Internet Networking
                              42,000


           Research on Key Technology
                              15,000


     Sub Total
                              57,000


    (4)  Miscellaneous



          Miscellaneous
                              20,000


     Sub Total
                              20,000


     COMPONENT TOTAL
                             265,000

 

Domestic government cost share for CSDNP (in US dollars):

                            Components
                              Total


     CSDNP Connectivity
                              68,000


     Research on Key Technology
                              40,000


     Operation Fee
                              20,000


     COMPONENT TOTAL
                             128,000



The total budget is added up to all together US$476,000, and broken down to the consumption
over a period of three fiscal years. The details are as follows:


International Catalytic Funds for CSDNP (in US dollars):


                               1996
                               1997
                               1998
                              Total


 Project Personnel/Formulation
                              41,000
                              24,000
                              16,000
                              81,000


 Training/Workshop
                              47,600
                              42,800
                              16,600
                             107,000


 Equipment/Networking/Research
                             112,000
                              16,000
                              12,000
                             140,000


 Miscellaneous
                              6,000
                              8,000
                              6,000
                              20,000


 Total
                             206,600
                              90,800
                              50,600
                             348,000




Domestic government cost share funding for CSDNP (in US dollars):


                               1996
                               1997
                               1998
                              Total


 CSDNP Connectivity
                              10,000
                              30,000
                              28,000
                              68,000


 Research on Key Technology

                              20,000
                              20,000
                              40,000


 Operation Fee
                              6,000
                              6,000
                              8,000
                              20,000


 Total
                              16,000
                              56,000
                              56,000
                             128,000





VIII.  Summary and Conclusions
 

CSDNP as conceived by its host unit and administrative node, the Information Division of
ACCA21, strives to be consistent with the UNDP principles for SDNP while also creating a
system which can be realized within the boundaries China's institutional, political, and social
structure.  We acknowledge that an information sharing culture is crucial to sustainable
development and the implementation of Agenda 21, and that thus CSDNP must also be open
to all participants.  The options are thus to try to institute an immediate  change to these
conditions; to create these conditions over time; or to not implement CSDNP.  The desire,
demand, and need for CSDNP in China  have already been clearly demonstrated in the
prefeasibility study and throughout this report.  Furthermore, the authors of  this study believe
very strongly that a change in the institutional structure in a country such as China cannot be
instantaneous.  Therefore, the remaining option, and the one adopted by ACCA21, is to slowly
create an atmosphere of open participation and access in the implementation of sustainable
development.  The first phase of this process is threefold:  to foster information sharing among
certain branches of the government, to allow complete and open access to general information
about the progress of Agenda 21 implementation; and to create catalog of information (ie,
metadata) on other existing data and make these accessible to all sectors of society.  Each of 
these three steps is feasible and included in the current plans for CSDNP.

ACCA21 is a small organization whose primary role will be to serve as a coordinator for the
entire nation's implementation of Agenda 21 and as a mediator between information users and
sources.  As such, it has no vested interests to protect its own information or resources. 
Furthermore, ACCA21 has already begun the first step in fostering information sharing
through its coordination of six institutions (NIC, CSTIC, Cast, Zhongguanchun network, State
Seismological Bureau, and the Information Commission for Integrated Survey on National
Resource) which are willing to share their information and put their metadata onto CSDNP. 
Once the trial phase involving these six organizations on CSDNP has been completed, the
Division of Information Network will continue the work of expanding the network to other
valuable stakeholders and resources such as NEPA.  Furthermore, ACCA21 and its Division
will act as a centre for international information gathering, and disseminating it for nationwide
use. 

UNDP financial support is needed to fund the development of network connections for these
six institutions in the trial phase of CSDNP.  Although their databases have already been
established, work is still needed on system connectivity, and also on such problems as better
methods for using the Chinese language across large networks.  
 
The metadata approach adopted by CSDNP is an innovative tool which will make it technically
as well as politically easier for various organizations to agree to begin information sharing. 

The Division of Information Network of ACCA21 will take on the role of mediator or
middleman for CSDNP.  That is, it can serve as an effective link between sources of
information and their users, as well as between various government branches and all non-government sectors of society.  Its size and organizational structure are well suited to this
purpose.

ACCA21's intimate tie with the government also makes it a much better choice as a host
organization for a Chinese SDNP than a traditional capacity building project in academia or
NGOs would be.  Academic and research institutions are generally much narrower in scope,
have less access to newer technologies and information, and do not have the ability to reach
all segments of society that a governmental organization possesses.  Given the need for an
SDNP in China, ACCA21's Division of Information Network is an appropriate host
organization.

The Interim Steering Committee for CSDNP has already been formed, consisting of a broad
representation of stakeholders who have already agreed that information should and can be
widely shared.  This Interim Committee, and the future finalized Steering Committee, will be
consensus organizations which will decide how and to what extent information from various
databases on CSDNP can be made public on the net. 

The authors of this feasibility study predict that CSDNP can become financially self-sustaining
after the trial period.  Currently, the Chinese government has promised 4 million RMB to
CSDNP over the next three years, of which 1 million is a government cost share  (ie, which
can be released to the project only if UNDP funding is secured).  After this, the Chinese
government will contribute 1 million RMB per annum.  In addition to this, there are six other
possible funding mechanisms to achieve cost recovery after three years.  However, given the
newness of this project, the next three years will be a very important time for ACCA21 and
the Division of Information Network to gain experience and further research the question of
future funding.

In the past two years, a great deal of technical and institutional change has occurred in China. 
Internet connectivity and hardware availability are now far more conducive to the  construction
of a nationwide network for sustainable development than they were a few short years ago. 
In addition, the general atmosphere is changing to one of increased participation and openness,
especially with ongoing economic reform.  Thus, we believe that the time is ripe for the
formation of China's Sustainable Networking Program.  Problems certainly exist, for example
in the areas of NGO and individual participation, and finance; but these are far from
insurmountable, and can be tackled one by one. The next step for China, then, is to begin the
trial period for CSDNP: coordinating the information to be shared by the six institutions,
continuing to establish the technical infrastructure, making public information on Agenda 21
through ACCA21,  and bringing in more stakeholders such as NEPA into the process. We
believe that CSDNP is feasible, and that it will serve an increasingly urgent demand to develop
China sustainably.

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