Dr. Chiranjibi Nepal Slide 2 Introduction Countries are facing
four mega trends: Rapid globalization IT revolution Industrial
structure change Declining birthrate Slide 3 These three forces
have changed the world economic structure: Customers take the
charge Competition intensifies Change becomes constant Slide 4
These 3c changed the philosophy of world economy: Shifting from the
producers to the consumers initiative Shifting from quantity to
quality Shifting from result to system Slide 5 Economics of scale
only no longer remain decisive in maintaining competitiveness. They
are being replaced by: Economics of speed Economics of scale
Economics of networking Slide 6 Changed dramatically over the last
five decades in politically, economically and socially with for
reaching implications of changes on the life styles: Living
conditions, Consumption patterns, Production systems, Thinking and
Ways Slide 7 In Nepal: High population and low GDP growth rates
with marginal improvement in per capita income of the people and
concentration of economic power in the hands of the few Slide 8
Poor performance in agriculture sector is conspicuous by; Low
productivity Low production Wide fluctuations Progress in
irrigation is always frustrating Slide 9 Another serious constraint
is; Idle labor on limited land The feudal land tenure system
Geographical setting is the determinant of the past development
strategy resulting in concentration of available resources in
relatively accessible areas with better potentialities and
possibilities of higher pay-offs Slide 10 As a consequence,
regional imbalances remained deep-rooted in; Agricultural,
Industrial, Infrastructures and Social sectors development. Slide
11 With the result that the remote and backward regions languished
under; High incidence of poverty, Economic isolation,
Underemployment, Declining productivity below subsistence level of
consumption and Poor capital formation Slide 12 As a Result: Most
glaring disparities in contribution to total GDP Decades of
planning exercises development efforts have failed Could not create
adequate conditions for achieving a reasonable growth with social
justice Slide 13 The development strategy underwent significant
reorientation with focus on; Employment oriented production,
Regional balance, Basic needs, and Participatory development under
successive periodic plans. Slide 14 It has numerous constraints;
Many incompleted projects had always to be carried over from one
periodic plan to the other, Such spillover type of project always
claimed substantial part of resources Slide 15 The planning and
programming units of line agencies could not develop their
capability in identification, preparation and implementation of new
programmes, The heavy dependence on external resources had often
resulted in implementation of projects other than these which could
have been selected, Slide 16 Nepalese economy is dualistic in its
structure; With the small, newly emerging, organized economic
sector based on trade, industry and services, Coexisting with the
vast traditional rural economy Slide 17 Single set of policy
package cannot address the problems which are specific to the
nature of the two different segments of the dualistic economy Slide
18 Obviously raises the question of why some countries are able to
meet the basic human needs of their people better than others; Some
countries select more appropriate technology than other in pursuing
developing program. Slide 19 The Green Revolution technology with
its exclusive focus on HYV (high yield variety) seeds, chemical
fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation and mechanized farming Slide 20
What is Appropriate Technology Appropriate technology is now
recognized as the generic term for a wide range of technology
characterized by several of following characteristics; Low
investment for work place Low capital investment per unit of output
Organizational simplicity High adaptability to a peculiar social
and cultural environment Slide 21 Sparing use of natural resources
Low cost of final product High potential for employment Slide 22 In
the absence of a developed industrial base a significant share of
Nepal's export earnings is bound to be dependent on agriculture and
forest product. Slide 23 In such a situation, if the rate of
economic growth is to be accelerated there is no option but to
mobilize millions of farmers in the rural areas with appropriate
technology. Slide 24 Appropriate methods of technology adoption
should include measures which; Increased agricultural production
Minimize the adverse impact of new technology on the rural society
and environment. Slide 25 Some examples Soil management in
Zimbabwe; Application of organic resources of animal or plant
Integration of cover crop and multiple purpose, woody and
herbaceous legumes in existing cropping system Improved
sustainability of nutrient cycles Soil conservation methods Slide
26 Flood resistant paddy; International Rice Research Institute has
invented a new kind of rice grain named Swarna-sub1 which after
being submerged in water continuously for 15 days also, doesn't rot
or get destroyed. It is proved by the experience done in India too.
Slide 27 Irrigation System; Two doctoral students of Cornell
University of USA studied Palpa district's Argali irrigation system
and found that the system with appropriate technology had been
working efficiently for the last 150 years without any direct
support from the government. They are managed, controlled and run
by the local people. Slide 28 Suspension Bridge; Even when a
national department dealing with the construction of suspension
bridges was asked to build such bridges with a grant assistance of
Rs 7,00,000, they were able to build only two suspension bridges
whereas when the same amount was granted to the local people who
were to mobilize local resources including labor, knowhow and
technology, they were successful in building 62 suspension bridges.
Slide 29 "The bridges ranged from 30 feet to 300 feet in length and
were deemed safe by the engineers who studied them." Slide 30
Practical Action Program; By introducing a practical Action
designed clay stove, which uses much less biomass, and building a
clay flue to carry the smoke to the open air, the kitchen
environment is transformed. Lolipops for cows (Khari Dikka) red
mud, egg shells, salt, flour (cow produce a good quality of milk
that is high in fat) Slide 31 Increasing rural productivity
Increasing productivity of rural people and their access to other
basic services and market through use of Intervention include
scaling up of technologies such as cable river crossing tuins,
gravity goods ropeways, decentralized renewable energy technologies
focusing on the development of wind and solar energy systems and
strengthening their manufacturing bases as well as their operation
and maintenance for sustainability. Slide 32 Practical Actions
(Three gravity ropeway and six tuins benefiting 14,636 people from
2,366 HHS:(Achham, Gorkha and Tanahu Districts) Practical Actions
Renewable energy village in a chepang village in Gorkha district
has meant that 67 households now have access to lighting from
renewable energy sources these sources include wind/solar hybrid,
micro-hydro, pico-hydro and solar lanterns. Slide 33 Bio gas plants
Solar dryers for agro-processing In health, the purification of
drinking water, agriculture, tools and techniques for improved soil
management development of simple renewable energy. Slide 34
Renewable energy; Solar Water disinfection; (SODIS) is a
low-technology, simple process of purifying water using the power
of the suns UV rays and solar radiation. Slide 35 Solar water
purification system; this integrates solar electricity and water
purification- solar panels generate power for a battery that pumps
the water through a filtration and purification system. These
systems are often mobile and used in disaster relief efforts and
conflicts area. Slide 36 Neglected issues in technological change:
Interrelationships between technology, environment and rural
population Slide 37 Need for an appropriate technology; two
important elements of sustainability that need to be recognized in
developing appropriate technology and agriculture growth
strategies: First, future generation have prospects equal to or
greater that what present generation have and second, the potential
degradation of the resources base due to human action to raise the
resources systems performance is a key limitation to
sustainability. Slide 38 Need for a supporting technology; the
development of appropriate technology cannot achieve the desired
results unless appropriate measure over taken for the transfer of
technology to the people who deserve it most. Slide 39 Relevant
aspects of technology transfer; people who want to adopt the
technology should have easy access to it, measures should be taken
to ensure that those who have acquired the technology can adopt it
easily. Slide 40 An appropriate economic policy framework the
policy towards agriculture and industry should be bias- neutral.
Slide 41 The application of technology is primarily a social
process rather than just a technical/economic process. Slide 42
Thank You
