APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY

Appropriate technology is designing a solution to a need that considers the environmental, ethical, cultural, social and economical aspects of the community for which it is intended. The concept was initially championed in the 1920s by Mohandas Gandhi, who opposed the dehumanizing effects of the industrial revolution. The idea was further advanced in the 1970s by EF Schumacher, who coined the term “intermediate technology” to describe village-level enterprises.

One can’t be too dogmatic about what is or is not appropriate technology because it depends on many social and economic factors which change over time and geography. For example, at one time it might have been true that imported items are not appropriate technology because they are not manufactured locally. However, tools manufactured in India or China can now be found in many remote African village markets.

A technology can be considered “appropriate” if, when it is introduced to a community, someone says “I can use that!” Or, taking it a step further, the response is “I could make those and sell them!”

Lifewater is committed to achieving sustainability in all of our projects. By this we mean that our in-country partner can continue an activity – like pump repair, hygiene education, or sanitation promotion – on their own after they have received training and initial financial support. This definition of sustainability necessarily includes the use of appropriate technology.

See this Wikipedia article for additional insight on Appropriate Technology: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appropriate_technology.