Engineering for Development

Abstract

Billions of people around the world suffer from extreme poverty. Such poverty is characterised by hunger, sickness, lack of shelter and clothing, low incomes, low achievements in education, vulnerability, voicelessness and powerlessness. The causes of such poverty are many, and include political, social, economic and environmental factors. International organisations, governments and non-governmental organisations that are involved in ameliorating such poverty tend to focus on political and economic remedies. However, engineering has a very important role to play, for it can provide practical solutions to the needs of people suffering from extreme poverty. As such poverty is a major injustice, it presents a clear case of an opportunity of professional capabilities for engineers. Indeed, as the consequences of such poverty are so appalling, it may better be considered an obligation of professional capabilities for engineers. The role that better provision of energy can play in the amelioration of poverty will be used to provide an example of the nature and magnitude of the issues. Energy is a key enabler: all countries that have moved their populations out of poverty in modern times have done so whilst greatly increasing access to a diversity of energy supplies, replacing human and animal labour with more powerful energy sources. Furthermore, such energy provision requires the collaboration of many different types of engineers, including civil engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers and chemical engineers. It is, therefore, a need to which large numbers of the profession can contribute. Some of the many other ways in which engineering can contribute to the amelioration of extreme poverty will be outlined. The analysis of engineering as an ethical practice will be used to consider how individual engineers and engineering institutions can best contribute to meet such pressing human needs. Finally, some valuable lessons that may be learnt from African approaches to ethics will be considered.