--- title: "Impact of technology, sustainable development" subject: "Energy Environment and Society" chapter: 1 key: "semester_7/energy_environment_and_society:technology-impact-society-sustainable" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/energy_environment_and_society/technology-impact-society-sustainable site: BCT Engineering --- # Impact of technology, sustainable development Energy Environment and Society · Chapter 1: Technology and Development - Asked in: 2071 Shrawan, 2+3 marks - 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/technology-impact-society-sustainable - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/energy_environment_and_society/chapter-1 ## Question What are the impacts of technology on society? How does appropriate technology help in the sustainable development of the country? ## Short answer Technology brings positive impacts like better health, productivity and communication, but also pollution, job loss and inequality. Appropriate technology is low-cost, small-scale, easily repaired and eco-friendly. It helps sustainable development by using local resources, creating rural enterprises, reducing smoke and deforestation, and being maintainable by local people. ## Answer #### Impacts of technology on society **Positive** - Better health, food production, education, transport and communication. - More jobs, higher income and productivity; access to energy and information. **Negative** - Pollution, resource depletion and climate change. - Job loss due to automation, social inequality and the digital divide. - Loss of local culture and skills; dependence on imported technology. #### How appropriate technology helps sustainable development in Nepal **Appropriate technology** is technology that is suited to local needs, resources, skills and environment: low cost, small scale, easily repaired and eco-friendly. - **Economic:** uses local labour and materials, saves imported fuel, and creates rural enterprises (for example micro-hydro-powered mills and workshops). - **Social:** reaches remote communities and women; biogas and improved cookstoves cut smoke and the time spent collecting firewood; community ownership builds capacity. - **Environmental:** biogas, solar and micro-hydro reduce deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. - **Long-term:** local people can operate and maintain it, so benefits last. Examples: AEPC-supported biogas (hundreds of thousands of plants), micro-hydro villages, solar home systems, improved water mills. These raise living standards without destroying resources for future generations. ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. Which is a negative impact of technology on society? A. Better food production B. Improved communication C. Higher productivity D. Job loss due to automation and the digital divide Answer: D. Negatives listed: pollution, resource depletion, job loss, inequality, loss of culture, import dependence. (Key point: Negative impacts) 2. How do biogas and improved cookstoves help socially? A. They cut smoke and the time spent collecting firewood, especially helping women B. They increase firewood use C. They need imported fuel D. They reduce community ownership Answer: A. Social benefit: less smoke and less time collecting firewood, with community ownership building capacity. (Key point: Social role of AT) 3. How does AT help environmental sustainability in Nepal? A. They increase deforestation B. Biogas, solar and micro-hydro reduce deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions C. They require more fossil fuel imports D. They raise greenhouse gases Answer: B. Replacing firewood and fossil fuel with renewables reduces deforestation and emissions. (Key point: Environmental role of AT) 4. Why do the benefits of AT last? A. It depends on foreign experts B. It uses imported spare parts C. Local people can operate and maintain it D. It needs constant foreign subsidy Answer: C. Local operation and maintenance make AT sustainable over time. 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