Appropriate Technology
An Alternative Resource To Development

By Poshendra Satyal Pravat

IN recent years, the importance of intermediate or appropriate technology has been recognised in the contemporary development discourse. The small-scale projects developed by or with local communities in the version of 'small is beautiful' have become relevant in the changing scenario of environment and resources due to the failure of high technology and large-scale development projects imposed on rural communities by outside agencies.

New Approach

This new approach to development is based on the idea of 'endogenous development', which emphasises that development is to be sought in each country's own ecology and culture, not in the supposed model of a developed country.

The global emphasis on participatory development suggests exploring the possibility that appropriate technology could be a base for internally initiated development. It emphasises the design of approaches and technologies based on existing knowledge systems and locally available resources. It has thus become a crucial aspect of sustainable development ideology defined as 'the development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'.

Various types of appropriate technologies have been developed and promoted by different organisations in Nepal. Some of them are: bikase-chulho (improved cooking stove), pani-ghatta (watermills), biogas and green energy, micro-hydro projects, grain storage technology, solar energy and solar drying system etc. Two leading research institutions, Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (RONAST) and Research Centre for Applied Science and Technology (RECAST) have been undertaking research in identification, development, utilisation and dissemination of indigenous and exogenous technologies appropriate to Nepal. They have also been involved in exploration of technical aspects on appropriate technology and its wider application. Similarly, Centre for Rural Technology (CRT), Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG), German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), and Green Energy Nepal (GEM), among others are also involved in conducting adaptive and action-oriented research and development initiatives on indigenous and improved technologies and thereby contributing to poverty alleviation in Nepal.

The benefits of appropriate technologies and small-scale projects have been the reduction of adverse environmental impacts, optimum use of natural and other resources, reduction in drudgery, increase in efficiency, maximisation of economic benefits, health benefits, and labour surplus. For example, in the improved cooking stove, the innovation is the chimney, which makes the kitchen smoke-free. In the same stove traditionally the fire hole where the pot is kept used to be very big and needed more firewood but now in the improved stove the size is made smaller and can be modified according to the need to save firewood. Similarly, in the traditional watermills, the blade is made of wood whereas in the improved one it is made of iron. The result is that the blade runs in less water and there is also high efficiency. Furthermore, iron blades are faster than wooden blades.

These examples show that the advantages of appropriate technology in a developing country like Nepal are manifold. Due to lack of proper infrastructure and financial constraints in investment in science and technology, it may play an important role in solving contemporary development challenges. Appropriate development options and technologies are most adaptable to the community needs and problems and have the benefit of being easily accepted by the communities. This is because they are based on the available knowledge systems, and take account of social and cultural aspects of development. It also incorporates local needs, practices and priorities in a participatory approach so that the insight helps in generating local solutions to local problems.

With respect to the development of appropriate technologies to Nepal, it is encouraging that the government policies and national plans have also been positive in recent years. For example, Agenda 21 of Nepal (HMG/N 1997) emphasises that special attention be given to the development of traditional indigenous technology and that the improvement, development and fine-tuning of existing technologies in rural areas be encouraged. Similarly, the Ninth Five-year Plan (1997-2002) aims at integrating science with the daily lives of people and envisages the protection and promotion of indigenous technologies. The plan also envisages adopting the improved cooking stove programmes in 45 districts of the country. In the Tenth Five-year Plan also, the government has emphasised in the development and popular application of appropriate technology in the country. Similarly, the Ministry of Science and Technology of HMG/Nepal has identified one of its objectives as to develop and promote traditional indigenous technology for the all-round development of the country.

Thus, it seems that both development thought and practice in Nepal has arrived at a moment when appropriate technology may potentially be an important element in designing development strategies. In the light of the growing interest of the organisations in appropriate technology and government's recent policy initiative to support appropriate technologies, it is essential that the civil society and the government should form creative partnerships for making sustainable development a reality. The government should focus more on implementing its policies and plans and in monitoring and evaluation of the implemented projects for successful results. Besides this, it is essential that a favourable environment be created for promotion of such initiatives from all levels.

Self-reliant

More research and development initiatives on identification of appropriate technology, its recognition, replication and integration should be promoted. Continuous scientific research and training activities on appropriate technologies by local and national institutions, institutionalisation of the technology, creation of dissemination mechanisms and constant review of appropriate techniques with new development are other areas of consideration. Only then, appropriate technology could prove as a valuable resource for developing Nepal in a self-reliant and sustainable Nepali way.

Development Of Decentralisation

By Uday Singh

AFTER more than half a century's planning exercises and strategical efforts, Nepal has failed to meet the basic needs of the people. There is wide gap between the small urban elites and vast rural masses. In order to improve and provide quality of life for all groups of people, decentralization has been developed as a development concept or like a system to the people at the grassroots through district level and civic bodies. Decentralization is the process of transferring the authority, power and functions from the central government to the local units. It is the process whereby the members of a society increase their personal as well as institutional capacities to mobilize and manage resources to yield sustainable improvements in their conditions of life consistent with own aspirations.

In the context of Nepal, decentralization models have been experimenting ranging from deconcentration to delegation of authority to devolution. If we look at the history of it, the process was first introduced under the Panchayat regime in 1962. The entire country was divided into 14 political zones, headed by 14 commissions who had the responsibility to maintain law and order and overall development of zones. At the same time districts were divided into 75, each headed by a Chief District Officer. The districts had the responsibility for building and maintenance of roads, bridges, schools and distribution of government grants to the different villages. Thus, the country was divided both geographically and politically into 5 development regions (4 in 1973 and 1 in 1981), 14 zones, 75 districts and villages for active participation of local communities and people based development. The constitution of Nepal, 1963 stated decentralization as a development strategy to empower people representing local participation in decision-making, was an important initiative in the country. But the process did not bring any change what people and country demanded in reality. Socio-economic and political problems were widespread with poverty and illiteracy bedevilling the country. Panchayati government brought Decentralization Act, 1963 to ameliorate the frailties of various programmes. Even though decentralization processes became failure due to less public participation and support.
After the restoration of democracy, the constitution of the kingdom of Nepal, 1991 states decentralization as a vehicle to strengthen democracy, alleviate poverty, increase active participation of local bodies and mobilize local resources themselves. As a result, to promote local interests and meet the needs of local communities; the government passed the Village Development Committee Act, Municipality Act, and District Development Committee Act, 1992. The situation of Nepal is still not improved with decentralization efforts even after the exercises of multiparty democracy. It was in 1998 that the Local Autonomy Act was formulated for implementation of power devolution. It is seen that practical aspects of the process have been ignored to local bodies to function independently. For a country like Nepal, the need of decentralization is essential because of the geographical combination, socio-economic status of people and ethnic diversity. Various development programmes such as poverty alleviation and social mobilization have been useful for the country. To some extent fundamental changes have taken place not only in the contents of the development plans but also in the methods of plan formulation and plan implementation. In spite of the government's commitment, a large number of I/NGOS, Donor agencies and Civil society are also aiding on education, health, agriculture, communication and other developmental infrastructures to local bodies in accordance with the policies adopted by the government. It might take time to achieve the expected results.

Decentralization is the demand of time. But it without budget, resource and autonomy cannot function properly. The autonomy of decentralized units depends heavily on their size, their fiscal resources, type of grants they receive and the efficiency of the bureaucratic and political mechanism. Unless local development committees are not given appropriate authority to mobilize local resources with their responsibility, they will not be capable of mobilizing more local resources. The imbalance of technical capability and responsibility has made the local development committees totally dependent on the central government and bureaucracy. Local development committees are political units represented by the elected members of people. They are entrusted with local development tasks. People always expect a good government that will ensure better life. The present Decentralization Act should, therefore, be reviewed and revised to strengthen the D.D.C. municipality and V.D.C. with adequate power to mobilize local resources and technical man-power according to their own requirements. The success of it improves efficiency and responsiveness of the public sector. Unstable government can make things worse in the course of decentralization. Obviously the central government has not been able to deliver services adequately at the remote parts. The slow process of decentralization might further deteriorate the condition of disparity. To make the process more effective it must go directly to uplift the people from bottom to up. In it political, economic and administrative authority should be focused and exercised at the local level. This process will depend on how effectively the mechanism allows local bodies to make their decisions. The government and its national, regional and local bodies should equally be sensitive in formulating and implementing policies and reforms. Therefore, the government should bring out act of governance which will embody the code of conduct as well as the clear demarcation of authority, functions and duties.

Decentralization can contain the aspects of accountability, transparency and commitment to enhance social, political, economic, cultural and civic spheres. The mechanism should be made effective to hand over power to local bodies at right time.

Education: On Sale

Narayan Upadhyay

WE have an adage that says- Saraswati, the goddess of learning, and Laxmi, the goddess of wealth do not live together under the same roof. The supposition of the maxim is that a rich person, more often than not, is bereft of good education. An educated or a learned man, likewise, often suffers from the dearth of riches.

Nevertheless, in the modern era of yuppies and young billionaires, the belief on the mutual exclusivity of education and wealth is anachronistic. Education has now turned out to be a vehicle that takes human beings faster towards their sole goal: acquiring riches that allay a man's burden of possessing material goods.

The recent bustle in education sectors for garnering riches by commercializing education has become the order of the day for those who have knowledge and means to pursue their goals.

If you are a person of letters then you can certainly explore new opportunity that suits your education. The real quandary, for we modern denizens, is to acquire necessary education. To gain education at good schools or at good colleges, or at universities have become, for many, an unattainable exercise. You have to be an offspring of a mammon to stay at a good university to be better educated.
Education is not that cheap. You will have to sweat it out to be a good academician or an excellent professional. At times, an aspiring youngster wishing to spend his important time of life at good colleges cannot do so because of the expensive fee of the academic institution.

In Nepal, the selling of education has glaringly been taking place in various forms after the reinstallation of democracy. Colleges bearing the names of Ivy League colleges- Cambridge, Harvard, Oxford, and Stanford- have been emerging out of nowhere every other year, though we do not gauge the quality and the standard of the institutions. Like their big names, these Ivy League clones' tuition and other accommodation fees are surging higher than ever before; some of them ask hefty sum as fees for providing excellent education through best teachers, and for making available facilities such as computers, games, hostels, nice meals and so on.

When colleges are all out to plunder into parents' purses, can primary and secondary schools be far behind in luring other parents? Once a toddler is admitted, the school authorities keep sending bills at regular intervals. From taking your kid to picnic to oraganising yearly school days, and from providing stationery to holding terms and yearly examinations, our English medium boarding schools quench their thirst for riches through hefty bills sent to the hapless parents.

Another way of squandering parents' hard earned wealth is to seek advises from the so-called education consultants for the enrollment at colleges abroad. With their glib talks, these consultants attract students and make a lot of money. By handing out information both for the enrollment in the foreign-based universities and for the procedure to obtain visas, these consultants are these days making fast money.

A student has to pay even for the simple procedure these education consultants follow to get him the enrollment at a foreign college. Their earning from providing consultancy to a student sometime runs into hundreds of thousands rupees. For a student the problem does not end here. He will have to deposit hefty sum in fee at the university where he is admitted. Getting educated, therefore, is a double-edged sword that keeps hanging on parents' purses.

An educated person can earn a lot, and a rich person's kids can earn good education at well-known schools or colleges after paying a good amount of money. In addition, one can earn millions selling education by setting up school, colleges, and centers for education consultancy. Education and riches are not mutually exclusive, but are interdependent. Both can help human beings realise their sole goal.