Optimal Engineering Strategy for Sustainable Infrastructure

Because of the unaffordable economical, environmental and social costs associated with large scale infrastructure development,such as large capital requirements for building water management infrastructure,sedimentation due to damming of rivers and inundation of farm lands and displacement of population as results of dam installation, many communities in the Global South, may opt to use small-scale technology schemes. It is the view of this study, for such option to succeed in improving the living conditions of the poor in the Global South it will require: Wider support by national governments, and NGOs; rigorous, place-based analysis and assessment; the use of innovative technologies (GIS and Remote Sensing);adoption of effective policies that are pro-poor, gender sensitive and reconcilable with positive cultural practices; effective adoption of sustainable appropriate technologies;sufficient and effective funding; and thorough understanding of the impacts of development on socioeconomic,cultural and political conditions. Using a case study this book investigated these requirements and used the findings to suggest measures for sustainable water infrastructure development.