Appropriate Technology

One thing that has struck me during my time in Tuvalu is the number of aid projects where donors have provided equipment that works great in their home country, but in the Pacific Islands really isn't that appropriate. In Funafuti, many of the relics of these projects now litter the island of Fogafale - either at the side of roads, in front yards of government facilities, or simply where they were installed - no longer operational.

One example is the old Telecom Earth Station - not sure if it was an aid project, but most likely. It appears that the earth station for Telecom was removed from it's old position near the power house to a new location near the lagoon - much more sheltered than the old location and much less aggressive - begs the question - why was it sited at the original location in the first place? And why didn't they remove the old buildings and satellite dishes when they installed the new station?

In my opinion where aid is supplied there should be a requirement that when the project reaches the end of it useful life, the remnants are repatriated to the donor country for recycling. Or find a project where parts can be re-used and only repatriate parts that are beyond re-use. There needs to be more cradle-to-cradle thinking in aid project delivery.

As a materials specialist it has really impressed upon me the vital importance of materials selection, particularly in remote locations where adequate maintenance is unlikely.