Abstract
Appendix 10 provides a summary of the major conferences and Summits held with regard to the wider issues of development of the living and environmental conditions of the world’s poor, developing and developed countries. Section 1.2 discusses the main points recognised, and the lessons learned since Stockholm 1972, highlighting that all the various issues connected with development are complex and thus it is not possible to work with a single overarching theoretical model of sustainable development. Further, it stressed that in order to achieve concurrently, social, political and ecological changes in the real life settings of the end-users of development projects, anyone active in the field must consider much broader approaches than previously applied.
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Notes
- 1.
The website for more information about the UNICEF’s GOBI program can be found at: http://rehydrate.org/facts/gobi-fff.htm. Accessed 26 July 2012.
- 2.
TSP stands for “Total Suspended Particles” and includes all particles suspended in the air generated by a polluting source. PM10, PM2.5 are particulate matter of <10 or <2.5 µm (micrometres) in diameter and thus able to enter the respiratory system. CO is carbon monoxide.
- 3.
Since 2006, RIDS-Nepal has used an EPAM-5000 Environmental Particulate Air Monitor to measure the PM2.5, PM10 and TSP indoor air pollution. This portable EPAM-5000 includes a gravimetric and photoelectric detector. http://www.hazdust.com/epam5000.php. Accessed 26 July 2012.
- 4.
These average improved IAP levels are based on the RIDS-Nepal’s recorded (unpublished) measurements in over 50 households. Each IAP test is over a 24 h time period over the years 2006–2010, in homes without and with the installed smokeless metal stove over the years 2006–2010.
- 5.
In 2006, the Nepal government announced a nation wide forthcoming, long-term subsidised stove program. Thus a 2 year evaluation of the major available stoves in Nepal was launched, which resulted in the approval of the author’s designed and developed “Jumla design” smokeless metal stove (SMS) as the National Standard stove model. Thus, since 2009, a nation wide stove subsidy program (subsidising 50 % of the manufacturing cost) with annual production of 50,000 SMS, is running.
- 6.
Since the initial development of white light emitting diodes in the mid 1990s by Dr. S. Nakamura from Nichia in Japan, the light output of the diodes has constantly improved, from initially 14 lm/watt in the author’s first WLED electrification project in Jumla in 1999, to 83 lm/watt in RIDS-Nepal’s 2009/2010 village electrification system. With this value, the WLED technology has reached good quality CFL’s luminescence. Leading researchers in this field, such as Prof. A. Zukauskus from the University of Vilnius in Lithuania, as well as literature (see references 5 and 6 in Appendix 15.13) show that till 2020 WLED lights will be on the market with a luminosity of 200 lm/watt. Thus this compels RIDS-Nepal to continue to invest effort into the constant redesigning and development of the WLED indoor lighting technology applied for the Humla communities.
- 7.
A PhD student from the University of Melbourne, AUS, with the author’s co-supervision, is supporting the further development of the initial RIDS-Nepal high-altitude greenhouse concept and design.
- 8.
Since 2007 the Nepali government is providing a 50 % subsidy on the solar drier, developed by the author through Kathmandu University student research projects from 2002 to 2004.
- 9.
The SSWF, developed by the author, is since 2008 available on the local market.
- 10.
The HASWH is since 2006 available on the local market. It has been developed by the author through Kathmandu University student research projects from 2003 to 2005.
- 11.
RIDS-Nepal developed under the leadership and guidance of the author, till end of 2011 four NFE work books for the women and out of school students of the RIDS-Nepal NFE classes. The four work books (chapter Appendix 17) are also available for other local NGOs and interest groups in indigenous literacy programs from the RIDS-Nepal web site at: http://www.rids-nepal.org/index.php/Non-Formal_Education/View_category.html. Accessed 26 July 2012.
- 12.
Another alternative is the use of solar cookers (e.g. the parabolic SK14 solar cooker), utilising the Sun’s power to cook, heat water for hygienic purpose, and to drink. However, good and proven this technology is, the promotion and use of a solar cooker poses particularly enormous obstacles to indigenise and make it widely used and appreciated in the local community. Issues such as the cooking hours, which are limited to sunny days and day hours, when the women are mostly engaged in field and crop work, or to have women cook outside the house, where they can be seen and where evil spirits have easy access to the food, are just some of the reasons why it is very hard to convince the local people that the solar cooker is a realistic alternative, alongside the smokeless metal stove. This, because the solar cooker demands significant changes and alterations to their prevailing culture and belief systems, which are deeply rooted in the local society and hard to change. However, RIDS-Nepal has in all its offices at least one SK14 solar cooker installed and in daily use, to demonstrate that it is possible to use a solar cooker in this environment and that we can save precious firewood resources. Local people are invited to come and share the experience and see for themselves that the food can be cooked with a solar cooker and that it tastes the same if not even better and is in no way “cursed” by any evil spirit. In these practical ways, living and working alongside local communities we hope to slowly penetrate the thick layer of culture through the practical examples of making the solar cooker an integrated part of our life and work.
- 13.
RIDS-Nepal’s scholarship program provides a unique opportunity to young women and men from remote Humla villages for a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TEVT) at the Karnali Technical School (KTS), in Jumla, a 7 day trek south of Humla. Till end of 2010, three young people from Humla villages have successfully completed their TEVT courses and are employed in different governmental and non-governmental development organizations in Humla. Since 2009, a further four Humla students (two women and two men) have enrolled in this scholarship program at KTS. The students, in consultation with RIDS-Nepal, can choose the profession they want to study. RIDS-Nepal is supporting this program through funds raised from philanthropic organisations and individuals. The TEVT Scholarship Program is important as it provides local young women and men with a unique opportunity to learn a trade (construction sub-overseer, agriculturist) or profession (nurse, midwife), which are urgently needed in such remote and impoverished areas as Humla. With this scholarship program, the required skilled workforce for Humla can be developed over the coming years, empowering local individuals with the right tools and education and thus they can increasingly take the responsibility of development of their own communities into their own hands.
- 14.
Each WLED lamp consists of 12 high quality Nichia NSWP510DS WLED diodes with a 50° light angle.
- 15.
Pico Power Nepal (PPN) can be contacted through Mr. Muni Raja Upadhaya, at: muniraj@rids-nepal.org or through the author.
- 16.
“Schmutzdecke” is the German word for the fine layer of bacteria, which is responsible to “purify” the water running through the SSWF. This layer of bacteria is developed on top of the fine sand layer over the course of the first 10–14 days of use (filling the SSWF with water twice a day and emptying the filtered water). Because the “Schmutzdecke” consists of bacteria, the SSWF has to be filled daily so that the bacteria remain in a moist environment, as otherwise they would die and the filtration of the water would not take place.
- 17.
The Millennium Project was commissioned by the United Nations Secretary General in 2002 to develop a concrete action plan for the world to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and to reverse the grinding poverty, hunger and disease affecting billions of people. The Millennium Villages are based on a single powerful idea—impoverished villages can transform themselves and meet the Millennium Development Goals if they are empowered with proven, powerful, practical technologies. By investing in health, food production, education, access to clean water, and essential infrastructure, these community led interventions will enable impoverished villages to escape extreme poverty, something that currently affects over 1 billion people worldwide. http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/mv/index.htm. Accessed 26 July 2012.
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Zahnd, A. (2013). Theory and Context. In: The Role of Renewable Energy Technology in Holistic Community Development. Springer Theses. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03989-3_2
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