--- title: "Appropriate and intermediate technology with examples" subject: "Technology, Environment and Society" chapter: 1 key: "semester_7/technology_environment_and_society:appropriate-intermediate-examples" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/appropriate-intermediate-examples site: BCT Engineering --- # Appropriate and intermediate technology with examples Technology, Environment and Society · Chapter 1: Technology - Asked in: 2081 Baisakh, 8 marks - Video: [What is Appropriate Technology?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZQ7kn8E00c) — 본캐 다이어리 - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/appropriate-intermediate-examples - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/chapter-1 ## Question Describe about the appropriate technology and intermediate technology with suitable examples. ## Short answer Appropriate technology fits local conditions (e.g., micro-hydro, biogas) while intermediate technology lies between traditional and modern, affordable and more productive (e.g., improved water mill, pedal thresher). In labour-abundant, capital-scarce Nepal, intermediate technologies are often the most appropriate choice. ## Answer #### Appropriate technology **Appropriate technology (AT)** is technology designed for the specific economic, social, cultural and environmental conditions of the community that uses it. The idea was popularised by **E. F. Schumacher** in *Small Is Beautiful* (1973). **Features:** - Low capital cost; affordable to local people - Small-scale and decentralised - Labour-intensive; creates local employment - Uses local materials, energy and skills - Simple to operate, repair and maintain locally - Environmentally friendly, often using renewable energy - Culturally acceptable and meets a felt need of the community **Examples:** - **Micro-hydro plants** for lighting and agro-processing in remote hill villages of Nepal - **Biogas plants** using cattle dung for cooking gas and slurry fertiliser - **Improved cooking stoves** reducing smoke and firewood use - **Solar home systems** and solar dryers - **Rainwater harvesting** and gravity-flow drinking water schemes - **Drip irrigation** and treadle pumps for small farmers AT is relative: a large thermal power plant may be appropriate for an industrial country, while a micro-hydro plant is appropriate for a remote Nepali village. #### Intermediate technology **Intermediate technology** is technology that lies between simple **traditional technology** and expensive **modern, capital-intensive technology**. Schumacher explained it with the idea that if a traditional tool costs £1 and a modern one £1000, an intermediate tool costing about £100 is far more productive than the first but affordable for poor people. The Intermediate Technology Development Group (1966, now **Practical Action**) works on this, including in Nepal. **Features:** more productive than traditional tools, cheaper and simpler than modern machines, can be made or repaired locally. **Examples:** | Traditional | Intermediate | Modern | |---|---|---| | Traditional *ghatta* | Improved water mill (IWM) | Electric roller mill | | Manual threshing (beating) | Pedal thresher | Combine harvester | | Ox plough | Power tiller | Large tractor | | Open three-stone fire | Improved cooking stove | LPG / induction cooker | | Carrying by porters | Ropeway / pulley | Truck road | | Kerosene lamp | Solar lantern | Grid electricity | #### Relation between the two | Basis | Appropriate technology | Intermediate technology | |---|---|---| | Basis of definition | Suitability to local conditions | Level of technology (between old and new) | | Scope | Can be simple or advanced | Always mid-level | | Example | Micro-hydro in a village; metro rail in a big city | Improved water mill | In LDCs like Nepal, intermediate technology is usually the most appropriate technology because it matches scarce capital, plentiful labour and local skills. ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. Why is appropriate technology said to be 'relative'? A. It changes with price B. What is appropriate depends on the place, e.g. a large thermal plant for an industrial country but micro-hydro for a remote Nepali village C. It is relative to the age of the user D. It is always small Answer: B. Appropriateness depends on local conditions. (Key point: AT is relative) 2. In Schumacher's example, if a traditional tool costs 1 pound and a modern one 1000 pounds, the intermediate tool costs about: A. 10 pounds B. 100 pounds C. 500 pounds D. 1000 pounds Answer: B. About 100 pounds: far more productive than the traditional tool yet affordable to the poor. (Key point: Intermediate technology idea) 3. Which is the intermediate technology for the traditional ghatta? A. Electric roller mill B. Improved water mill C. Hand pestle D. Combine harvester Answer: B. Traditional ghatta, improved water mill (IWM), electric roller mill. (Key point: Intermediate technology example) 4. Which statement about the two is correct? A. IT is defined by suitability to local conditions, AT by its level B. AT is defined by suitability to local conditions, IT by its level between old and new C. They are identical D. IT is always modern Answer: B. AT is judged by suitability; IT by being mid-level; in LDCs IT is usually the most appropriate. 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