Digital Preservation in Developing Countries: Identifying Infrastructure and Policy Gaps

Abstract: Digital preservation is a vital means of saving the country's cultural, educational, administrative, and historic digital resources. Unfortunately, in developing countries, the presence of various systemic barriers interferes with the successful implementation of preservation. Such obstacles have been compartmentalized into infrastructural failure to support due to the lack of dependable power, the restricted digital storage capacity, and the limited internet connection. Moreover, there are policy-related shortcomings, such as disjointed institutional roles, obsolete legal frameworks, and the fact that there are no nationally standardized strategies. Referencing the case studies of a few developing nations selected by the researchers, the given study provides an argument for the dire need to have a unified policy base, invest in sustainable infrastructure, and have capacity-building efforts. With the specification of such gaps and the provision of specific steps that should be undertaken, the research aims at enlightening stakeholders and policymakers about the actions that have to be taken to maintain the long-term availability and integrity of digital heritage in the Global South. Keywords: Digital Preservation, Developing Countries, Infrastructure Gaps, Digital Divide, Policy Development, Archival Systems, National Strategies