--- title: "Appropriate technology and sustainable development elements" subject: "Energy Environment and Society" chapter: 1 key: "semester_7/energy_environment_and_society:appropriate-technology-sustainable-elements" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/energy_environment_and_society/appropriate-technology-sustainable-elements site: BCT Engineering --- # Appropriate technology and sustainable development elements Energy Environment and Society · Chapter 1: Technology and Development - Asked in: 2073 Shrawan - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/energy_environment_and_society/appropriate-technology-sustainable-elements - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/energy_environment_and_society/chapter-1 ## Question What do you mean by appropriate technology? What are the elements for the sustainable development? ## Short answer Appropriate technology is low-cost, small-scale, simple, local and eco-friendly technology suited to the place, popularized by Schumacher. Sustainable development has economic, social, environmental and institutional/cultural pillars; it meets present needs without compromising future generations. AT supports all pillars by being affordable, serving local people and being clean. ## Answer **Appropriate technology (AT)** is technology that suits the local social, economic, cultural, environmental and skill conditions of the place where it is used. It is usually small in scale, low in cost, simple to operate and repair, uses local materials and labour, and does little harm to the environment. The idea was popularised by E. F. Schumacher in *Small Is Beautiful* ("intermediate technology"). It is not "old" or "low" technology: it is the *right* technology for the situation. Examples in Nepal: biogas plants, improved cooking stoves, micro-hydro with peltric sets, solar home systems and solar dryers, ropeways, gravity-fed drinking-water schemes, treadle pumps and the traditional *ghatta* (water mill) upgraded to an improved water mill. #### Elements of sustainable development Sustainable development means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs (Brundtland Report, 1987). Its main elements (pillars) are: 1. **Economic sustainability:** steady growth, employment, equitable income and efficient use of resources. 2. **Social sustainability:** equity, health, education, gender and social inclusion, community participation, and good governance. 3. **Environmental sustainability:** protecting air, water, soil, forests and biodiversity; using renewable resources within their regeneration rate; limiting waste and emissions. 4. **Institutional / cultural sustainability:** strong institutions, laws and respect for local culture and knowledge. ```text +------------+ +------------+ | Economic |----------| Social | +-----+------+ +------+-----+ | | | Sustainable | | development (SD) | | = overlap of all | | | +-----------+------------+ | +--------+--------+ | Environmental | +-----------------+ ``` Sustainable development is the overlap of all of these. AT supports each element: it is affordable (economic), serves local people (social) and is clean (environmental). ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. Appropriate technology is best described as technology that: A. is the most advanced and capital-intensive option available B. suits the local social, economic, cultural, environmental and skill conditions of its place of use C. is old or low technology that has been replaced by modern methods D. is imported from developed countries and run by foreign experts Answer: B. AT is the 'right' technology for the situation: small, low cost, locally maintainable and low-impact. It is not simply old or low technology. (Key point: AT definition) 2. Sustainable development means: A. maximising present economic growth at any cost B. using only non-renewable resources C. meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs D. preserving nature with no human use Answer: C. This is the Brundtland Report (1987) definition. (Key point: Brundtland definition) 3. Which are the elements (pillars) of sustainable development in the answer? A. Military, political and religious sustainability B. Only economic and technical sustainability C. Only environmental sustainability D. Economic, social, environmental and institutional/cultural sustainability Answer: D. The four pillars are economic, social, environmental and institutional/cultural. (Key point: Elements of sustainable development) 4. Environmental sustainability requires using renewable resources: A. within their regeneration rate while limiting waste and emissions B. as fast as possible C. only when non-renewables run out D. without protecting forests Answer: A. Protecting air, water, soil, forests and biodiversity means not exceeding regeneration rate. (Key point: Environmental sustainability) ## Related in Energy Environment and Society - [Impact of technology, sustainable development](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fenergy_environment_and_society%3Atechnology-impact-society-sustainable) — Energy Environment and Society, chapter 1 - [Appropriate technology and impact on society](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fenergy_environment_and_society%3Aappropriate-technology-society-impact) — Energy Environment and Society, chapter 1 - [Appropriate technology for Nepal transport](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fenergy_environment_and_society%3Aappropriate-technology-nepal-transport) — Energy Environment and Society, chapter 1 - [Appropriate technology explained](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fenergy_environment_and_society%3Aappropriate-technology-explain) — Energy Environment and Society, chapter 1, asked 3× - [Characteristics of appropriate technology](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fenergy_environment_and_society%3Aappropriate-technology-characteristics) — Energy Environment and Society, chapter 1 ## Related in other subjects - [Sustainable development and LEP](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Asustainable-development-lep) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 2 - [Role of electrical energy in sustainable development](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Futilization_of_electrical_energy%3Aelectrical-energy-sustainable-development) — Utilization of Electrical Energy, chapter 1, asked 2× - [Short note: Appropriate technology](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aappropriate-technology-note) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 1, asked 2× - [Appropriate, intermediate and labor-based technology for LDCs](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aappropriate-intermediate-labor-ldc) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 1, asked 2×