Introduction

The Meaning of Appropriate Technology

It is well known that large scale projects in developing countries rarely alleviate poverty;
alternative forms of development may have better chances of success when people's
participation, poverty alleviation, environmental and cultural conditions are taken into
consideration and built into the project work plans. Appropriate Technology (AT), in fact,
combines technology, participation and poverty alleviation. AT has to be considered as an
holistic approach aiming at developing the socio-economic conditions of the people, ensuring
optimal utilisation of resources with minimal or no environmental detriment. Appropriate can
be the indigenous, the intermediate or the high-developed technology. The efficiency of
technology is measured on the degree of improvement of the lives of people and societies;
technologies that jeopardise human development are inefficient and costly. A technology is
considered appropriate if it provides tools that meet the people's needs and which gives
solutions to their problems; in addition, the local conditions and the development objectives
should merge better than any other alternative solution.

The concept of A.T. has evolved since 1970 when it first started, to the present time. The early
approach to AT saw its meaning underestimated. It was considered mainly a purely technical
solution; by some it was considered a second-rate solution. There were confused ideas about
its meaning and scopes. Often, even now, AT is perceived by some as a simple and
unimportant technical solution to some specific conditions in poor developing countries.
Several countries, such as China, India, the Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya, started promoting and
divulging AT right from the beginning.