Human Settlements Review - Parliamentary Monitoring Group

Human Settlements Review, Volume 1, Number 1, 2010
b) Development
Once enough information has been collected
and evaluated, the development of materials,
equipment, technologies, can commence to
provide a basis for communities and small
and medium scale entrepreneurs. This can be
supported by adapting technologies and by
networking with other institutions and partners.
c) Consultancy services
Once products have been researched and
developed, consultancy services can be
(and have been) provided by the HRDC,
based on the experience gained and the
available technology. This benefits individuals
and communities, as the service is aimed
at individual homebuilders (self-help);
community facilities which can be built by
communities (labour intensive projects);
government projects, such as infrastructure
provision or buildings. In general the HRDC
offers the following services: consultancies
relating to urban and rural development,
housing, infrastructure, environmental issues,
technology transfer, policy advice, and
information services.
d) Marketing:
Two marketing strategies have to be
considered once services and products are
available: The first is product marketing, which
aims at potential clients in the private and
public sector, to make them aware what is
available and what has been developed. The
second is technology marketing, which targets
entrepreneurs who can provide services and
products to consumers.
The HRDC was also intended to be the site for
a permanent exhibition of building products and
technologies to encourage the private sector
to use the Centre’s marketing opportunity and
to have products and technologies tested in
Namibia. This was a request made by smaller
companies during the inception phase.
e) Skills Training:
Another area is the provision of training
facilities at the HRDC and in co-operation
with an existing training institution, to enable
people to learn or upgrade skills in six to eight
week courses. To support the informal sector,
village based industries could be promoted by
giving trainees the opportunity to manufacture
their own tools and equipment and to repair
them, even if they are living and working in a
remote rural area by utilising locally available
resources.
3.2 Embodied energy
The establishment of the HRDC was initially
based on the fact that about 80% of building
and construction materials were imported.
It is a well-know fact that there are many
resources in Namibia, which are not utilised. In
2002 the then Ministry of Regional and Local
Government and Housing (MRLGH) supported
the proposal to build a Centre, which will
investigate and test alternative technologies,
building materials and approaches. The latter
included design and architecture with a focus
on various types of energy inputs. This resulted
in expanding the options to be considered,
from available resources, e.g. clay and lime, to
additional natural resources such as prosopis
and local stone, to what is called waste. The
latter included old tyres, building rubble, and
metal drums.
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