Engineering: issues, challenges and opportunities for development ...

ENGINEERING FOR DEVELOPMENT: APPLICATIONS AND INFRASTRUCTUREimproved transportation technologies and systems, and theuse of zero emission vehicles. The energy field is perhaps themost synonymous with appropriate technology, and includesphotovoltaic solar panels, cogeneration and more efficientpower storage, distribution and use, solar concentrators, solarabsorbers and water heaters, wind- wave- and hydro-power,biofuels, biogas and biochar.At the same time, water supply and sanitation is the mostimportant area of appropriate technology in terms of helpingsave nearly two million deaths per year from preventable waterbornediseases and improving the lives of the over 900 millionpeople who lack safe drinking water. Slow sand, porous ceramicfilters and reverse osmosis facilitate this, as does chemical flocculationchlorine and ultraviolet disinfection, improved wellconstruction techniques, pumping systems and toilet technologies.Appropriate technologies have enhanced food productionwith permaculture, improved irrigation, greenhouses and othertechniques, and have reduced post-harvest loss with better foodstorage, preservation and processing. Food processing has alsobeen enhanced with better shelling and milling machines, andthe health risks of domestic cooking reduced with improvedsmokeless wood-burning stoves, solar cookers and relatedtechnologies. Few of the above appropriate technologicalinnovations would be possible without appropriate systems ofmicrofinance, and technology has also revolutionized the worldof finance, including at the micro level with the use of such technologiessuch as mobile phones.One of the major new areas of appropriate technology are‘high-tech’ such as information and communication technologies.Wind-up radios, mobile phones, the US$100 Laptop, netbooksand related projects, open-source software and VoiceOver Internet Protocol systems – made possible by fibreoptics,satellite communications and other technologies – arerevolutionizing the way we think and about appropriate technology.Decentralized, distributed infrastructure systems – inmany ways similar to or inspired by topography of the Internet– are becoming increasingly important as the ‘traditional’ pathof development responds to the need for change. Industrializedcountries are rediscovering forgotten technologies as theyattempt to reduce their waste, emissions and environmentalimpact, and they are increasingly open to learning from technologiesused in developing countries.6.1.12 Appropriate technology:case study on buildingtechnologiesSolomon MwangiIntroductionSince the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement(CPA) between the Government of Sudan and the SudanesePeople Liberation Movement, only a few Sudanese refugeeshave returned home. The cause for this low return is due to anumber of reasons, including:■ Lack of infrastructures such as schools, hospitals and houses.■■■Unemployment or lack of economic activities to supportnormal livelihood.Non-existence of a dynamic private sector/enterprise cultureto open up business opportunities in most of the ruralsettings.Insecurity threats and rumours of war in many areas despitethe CPA having been in force for three years now.The housing and general building constructionchallenges in SudanThe traditional building materials in Sudan, similar to manyother countries, comprise of poles with mud for walls andthatch grass for roofing. While these traditional materials areprobably the most appropriate because of their good thermalproperties and affordability, its lifespan is limited to a maximumof twelve years (mud is weathered by rains and windover time and poles rot slowly or are eaten by termites). Thestructures are also less hygienic as they are easily infested byinsects and rodents.In many ways then, the concept of appropriate technologyis being re-understood for the challenges of the twenty-firstcentury, and the image of appropriate technology is changingas well. Significant issues remain, particularly around effectiveknowledge sharing, commercialization, scaling-up and awareness.The next decade will see significant developments ininformation platforms, business models and in education –and will, in all likelihood, show once again that small is beautifuland working.© S. Mwangi Typical African hut with itsmud and pole construction.279