International Conference “SDGs×Appropriate Technology×Asia”

A Comprehensive Framework on
Appropriate Technology Choice for Sustainable
Development

It’s Time to Make a Choice
7 Dec.2019

Nao Tanaka, APEX

1.Unsustainability of The Modern World and
The Need for Comprehensive Framework

Problems Now We are Facing

Poverty and Inequality
In 2017, 2.2 billion people
lacked access to safely
managed drinking water
services“Progress of household drinking water, sanitationand hygiene 2000-2017” UNICEF et al. 2019

In 2017, 4.2 billion people
lacked access to safely
managed sanitation services
Ibid.

無電化In 2017, ca.1 billion people
lived without access toelectricity“World Energy Outlook 2018” OECD/IEA,

Power Generation by Charcoal Gasification in
off-grid area (APEX)

1.6 billion people live ininadequate housing.
”Dialogue on the special theme forthe twenty-sixth session of theGoverning Council” UNHABITAT,2017

The Global Inequality Crisis“In 2018, the richest 26 people in the world owned thesame wealth as the 3.8 billion people who make up thepoorest half of humanity”“Public Good or Private Wealth ?” OXFAM, 2019

Problems Now We are Facing

Environmental Problems and Natural Resource Depletion
Global mean surface temperaturefor 2006–2015 was 0.87℃ higher
than pre-industrial times
Additional 1.0～3.7℃ increase isexpected in 2081-2100“Global Warming of 1.5℃” IPCC, 2018“the Fifth Assessment Report” IPCC, 2014

Over the period 1901 to2010, global mean sea
level rose by 0.19 m
Additional 0.40～0.63 m riseis expected in 2081-2100“the Fifth Assessment Report” IPCC, 2014

of an estimated 8 million
animal and plant species,
around 1 million are
threatened with extinction
IPBES, Summary for policymakers of theglobal assessment report on biodiversity
and ecosystem services,2019

Fish stocks at biologicallyunsustainable levels increased
from 10 percent in 1974 to33.1 percent in 2015
FAO, The State of World Fisheries andAquaculture, 2018

However, Global Energy Consumption
is Still Increasing Constantly

BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019

Problems Now We are Facing

Dehumanization

What is Dehumanization ?
Significance of Human Work

Dehumanized Work

●Produce necessities●Means for receiveof our lives●Develop our potentials

and creativity●Be of help to others●Develop cooperative

relationships withotherswages●No/very limited humancapacities developed●Not assured to be ofhelp to others●Only poor humanrelationships established

In modern industrialized society, dehumanization prevails to ourwhole life not only wage labor

What Will Be Brought About by Dehumanization ?

Terrorism

Poor
Human
Relations
SuicideDevalued
Human Life

Violence

Dehumanization
Bullying

Withdrawal
Totalitarianism

Decline of
Democracy

Reduced
Human
Capacities

Our Unsustainable World

Poverty andInequality

Unsustainable Society
Environmental andNatural Resource
Problems

Dehumanization

Mainstream R&D Field Today
人工知能

Artificial IntelligenceAutonomous Vehicles
先端医療IoT

Life Science ～ Advanced Medicine

A Long Term Trend of The World Population Growth Rate
1965-1969
2.1%

2.5－ Average over 10 years
5 years average
5 years average (estimation)

21.5

10.50
1650

1700

1750

1800

1850

1900

1950

2000

2050

U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base (Data Updated Aug.2017)※After Mita, M. 2018

At the middle of 1960s, the growth rate began todecrease making the turning point throughout thehuman history

Radical Criticism to Modern Technology andEffort to Create Alternatives In 1960s-1970s

1962 Carson, R., Silent Spring.

1967,1970 Mumford, L., The Myth of The Machine.
1971 Nakaoka, T., Philosophy of Factory.
1972 Meadows, D.H. et al., The Limits to Growth.
1973 Schumacher, E.F., Small is beautiful.
1973 Illich, I., Tools for Conviviality.

1974 Dickson, D., Alternative Technology.
1977 Lovins, A.B., Soft Energy Paths.
Poverty and Inequality

Environment and Resource

Dehumanization

Appropriate Technology Movements
Primarily Active: Mid 60’s to Mid 80’s

(1) Development Context
Appropriate to Local Conditions
People’s Needs Oriented
Create Job Opportunities
Environmentally Friendly

(2) Alternatives to Modern Technologies
Save Natural Resources
EcologicalDecentralized
Human-Scale, Controllable

Appropriate Technologies are Nothing But
The Technologies to Attain SDGs !

Effective Way～Short-pass to Develop
the Concepts of Technologies for Attaining SDGs

Learn from Appropriate Technology Movements(Primarily Active: Mid 60’s to Mid 80’s)

Consider the Reason Why the Movements
Were Declined

Make up for the Weak Points

Why the Appropriate Movements Declined ?
The End of Cold War

The Dominance of Capitalism &Modern Technology Enhanced

Absence of Practical Business Management

Shortage of Related Human Resources

Lack of Political Support

The Lack of Framework Widely Approved and Supported

Scope of the Framework

A Framework on “Appropriate Technology Choice”,
not on “Appropriate Technology”
Learn from Appropriate Technology Movements: thosephilosophy, significance, technologies and practices
butWide variety of definitions as for “AppropriateTechnology” already exist, making the meaning vague
Redefining is difficult and ineffective
To avoid misleading: “There exists a group of technologies
called ‘Appropriate Technology’ with special property”

By using the term “Appropriate Technology Choice”,
new arena for considering and discussing
freely as for technologies really necessaryfor attaining sustainable development will
be opened.
Show the direction of technologies for sustainable future
not only to developing countries but also to developed countries
Question “self-evident” assumptions“Economic Growth is an indispensable requirement” ?
“It is highly advanced new technologies that will create
new frontiers of industrial soceity” ?
“We must constantly increase productivity to strengthencompetitiveness” ?

Expected Spin Off
Revolution of Work
Decentralized
EconomyCarbon-Free
SocietyComprehensiveFramwork
Do It Yourself
Movements
Zero-WasteSociety

Transportation
Revolution

2. Appropriate Technology Choice for Solving
Poverty and Inequality Problems

What is Poverty ?
World Bank
People living on less than US$1.9 a day (736 million on 2015)

UNDP
MPI (Multidimensional Poverty Index, updated:2018)§Health (Nutrition, Child mortality)§Education (Years of schooling, School attendance)§Living standards (Cooking Fuel, Sanitation, Drinking
water, Electricity, Housing, Assets)
Cf. Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach
Poverty: deprivation in the capability(*) to live a good life
*Capability: the set of valuable functionings that a person has
effective access toProposal in this Framework
Poverty: deprivation of the conditions thatassure people’s freedom to pursue
the life they wish.
※Respecting Amartya Sen’s definition evaluating
freedom as the basic value, focus on the conditions toassure the freedom, to be more tangible

What Mechanism Brings about Poverty and Inequality ?

It isn’t the matter of “Backwardness” of developing countries.
The problems occur when traditional society caught up in thewave of modernization(*)* Nishikawa, J., 1974; George, S., 1977; Tsurumi, Y.,1982

The problems also occur when the private sector aims toincrease production efficiency despite limited room foreconomic growthCapitalism and Modern Science & Technology as
Main Drivers of Modern Industrialized Society

ModernModernIndustrialized
IndustrializedSociety
Society
Capitalism

ModernScience &Technology

Seek Profits and Economic
Growth without Limits

Enables higher production
efficiency, higher speed andscale-up

Advantageous to Capitalist

Develop new products &services

Effectiveness of Redistribution is Limited

SubsidyTAX

The Poor
Disparity

Wealthy
PeopleStructures causing poverty and inequality
remain unchanged

Appropriate Technology Choice
to Solve Poverty and Inequality Problems
P-1. Appropriate to Local Conditions and Contribute to Poverty
Reduction Directly
Choose or develop technologies which fit local socioeconomic as well as cultural conditions
Effectively fulfill basic needs of people such as cleanwater, sanitation, electricity, housing and food.

P-2.Create Job Opportunities Properly
E.F. Schumacher defined “Intermediate Technology” basedon “equipment cost per workplace”.
The essential solution of the poverty problems is to create
worthwhile job opportunities

3. Appropriate Technology Choice for Solving
Environment and Natural Resource Depletion Problems

Lessons not Learned“Silent Spring” 1962
Outlined the harmful effects on the natural ecosystemfrom indiscriminate use of pesticides

Today, a wide range of chemicals, plastics, metals etc
are being discharged in much larger amounts in ourenvironment.

“The Limits to Growth” 1972
Raised a significant warning regarding industrializedsocieties, which were seeking never-ending growth ofeconomy
Most countries are still seeking limitless economic
growth, and climate change has become reality.

Origin and Cause of Environment and Resource Problems

Tragedy of The Commons

Garrett Hardin

Egoistic and uncontrolled access to open accessresources causes depletion of the resources

Christianity

Lynn White Jr.

Christianity justify the dominance of humanity upon nature

Population GrowthPaul Ehrlich

The population growth and human desires have brought
about the problems

Modern Technologies

Barry Commoner

Economic inequality and unsustainable technologies havebrought about the problems

These discussions can be integrated into:
Impact of modernization under the pressureof population growthis the cause of environment and natural
resource depletion problems

Appropriate Technology Choice
To Solve Environment and Resource Problems
E-1. Limited Things Should Be Treated as Limited Things“One of the most fateful errors of our age is the belief that ‘theproblem of production’ has been solved.” E.F. Shumacher
E-1.a Refrain from using non-renewable resources as much as
possible, and get rid of using fossil fuels.
E-1.b Refrain from discharging wastes, wastewater and exhaustgas without proper treatment, and avoid greenhouse effectgas emission.
E-2. Develop a Society Based on Resources Which Can be
Supplied in Sustainable Way
Replacement of current excessive use of fossil fuels withrenewable energy is unreasonable.

E-3. Do Not Disturb the Balance and Cycling Process of
Natural Ecosystem
Distinguish materials (N) which can be safely returned tonatural ecosystem and materials (A) which cannot be.
N should be recycled or reduced to nature after use, whilst
A should be used in systems separated from the nature so
as not to disturb the natural ecosystem

E-4. Give Priority to Small Scale Decentralized System
Natural energy is suited to small scale decentralized energy
supply systems
In harmony with the energy supply system, development ofdecentralized socio-economic and technology system ought
to be given priority.
The system is highly self-sufficient in basic needs supply, atthe same time open to interact widely with other regions andcountries

E-5. Recognize the Limits of Modern Science andTechnology and Respect Nature
Modern Science and technology are based on amechanical view of the world, which knowledge can besystematically accumulated in large quantities andadded to exponentially.
The accumulation of knowledge has led to a tendency
to misunderstand that human beings have clarified alarge part of the world.
We should recognize that what we know about the nature
is very limited and human beings’ capability is also limited.
We need respect nature with deep and irreplaceablevalue.

4. Appropriate Technology Choice for Solving
Dehumanization Problems

Dehumanization in Classical Context

New Types of Dehumanization (Possibly Arise)Megamachines (by Lewis Mumford)
Ancient Megamachines○Dominated by Great Power○Large Scale Work
○Human became its
components and absolutely
subordinate to the system○Strict Standardization
and Precise Design

Revival of Megamachines in the Modern WorldThe Same Characteristics
with Ancient Megamachines○Dominated by Great Power○Large Scale Work
○Human became its
components and absolutelysubordinate to the system○Strict Standardization
and Precise Design+〇Expansion of Capacity without Limits by
Replacement of Human Factors to Machines
Mumford, L. 1967. 1970

What Happens with Introduction of Automation ?
Tetsuro Nakaoka’s View
Supporters of Automation

Automation will liberate laborers from monotonous work andenables them to do more sophisticated work
Opponents to Automation

Automation will deprive capabilities/skills from laborers andcause unemployment
Observations of Nakaoka

Automations do not liberate laborers from monotonous
work but bring about reorganization as for the division oflabor where new monotonous work as well as new skilledworks (the new skills are more dependent to machines)
appears, and enlarge disparity between elite and non-elite.
Nakaoka, T. 1970

Origin and Cause of Dehumanization Problems

Development of Modern Industrialized Society seems
to be origin and cause of dehumanization problems

ModernModern Industrialized Society
Capitalism

Science &Technology

Appropriate Technology Choice
To Solve Dehumanization Problems
D-1. Appreciate and Extend Non-Commercial Production/Work
Recover our initiatives and capabilities lost by the developmentof the commodity economy and the capitalist economy

Do it myself/ourselves
D-2. Make Use of Controllable Technologies by People
Give priority to technologies which do not bring about humansubordination to machines and are controllable by people

D-3. Make Use of Technologies Which Develop Human
Resources
Work gains value and significance when it enables people todemonstrate and develop their capabilities.

Change Unsustainable Society to Sustainable One

P-1. Appropriate

P-2. Job Opportunity

Poverty andInequality
E-1. Keep Limits

D-1. Non-commercial

Unsustainable SocietyE-2. Sustainable Resources

D-2.Controllable

Environmental andNatural Resource
Problems
E-3. EcologicalDehumanization

E-4.Decetralized

E-5.Respect Nature

D-3.HRDChange Unsustainable Society to Sustainable One

P-1. Appropriate

P-2. Job Opportunity

Sufficient andEqual
E-1. Keep Limits

D-1. Non-commercial

Sustainable SocietyE-2. Sustainable Resources

Environmentally
FriendlyE-3. EcologicalE-4.Decetralized

D-2.Controllable

Humanized,
Harmonic andCreative D-3.HRD
E-5.Respect Nature

Application of 3-D Lattice Rotating Biological Contactoters
For Communal Domestic Waste Water Treatment in Indonesia

Water Pollution in Indonesia

Poor Sanitary Conditions in Indonesia

Necessity of Communal Waste Water Treatment[ Background ]Urbanization → bad sanitary conditions, water pollution

Too densely populated
for individual treatment

Centralized Sewage
System is too costly

Communal Waste Water Treatment
as practical solution

RBC (Rotating Biological Contactors)

Easy Operation/Maintenance
Energy Saving
In Operation

Before Operation

In principle, RBC is considered to fit well to Asiancountries. However conventional RBCs available indeveloped countries are costly and difficult to be
produced in Indonesia

Then, APEX had come up with a innovative conceptof new contactors, which is highly efficient, durableand easy to be produced in Indonesia, that is,Three-Dimensional Lattice Contactors

Collaborating with a Japanese Private Company
and Dian Desa Foundation, RBC with ThreeDimensional Lattice Contactors was developed
Made in Japan (Sekisui Environment)

Made in Indonesia (Dian Desa Foundation)

Three-Dimensional Lattice RBC
is totally producible in Indonesia

Comparative Study as for Efficiency
Efficiency of Conventional RBC

Conventional RBC

10090

BOD Removal Ratio %

80
7060
50
4030
20
10
00

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

0.35

0.4

4 Times More
Efficiency of RBC with Three-Dimensional
Lattice
Efficient1/(BOD Surface Loading) m 2・day/gThree-Dimensional Lattice RBC

10090

BOD Removal Ratio %80706050403020
10000.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

0.35

2

1/(BOD Surface Loading) m ・day/g

By.H.Araki (Saga Univ)

0.4

Recommended Communal Domestic Waste Water
Treatment System in Indonesia

Anaerobic

Influent

Pretreatment

Aerobic

Effluent

Post-treatment○High treated water quality○Easy operation & maintenance○Energy saving○Space saving
56

Meeting with Community People
Slerok District
Tegal CitySemanggi District
Solo CityLandunsari District
Pekalongan City

Pasekan Belodan District
Tabanan Regency

Construction

Training on Operation and MaintenanceCommunal Waste Water Treatment Systems
Kricak Kidur District Yogyakarta City

Kricak Lor District
Yogyakarta City

ジョクジャカルタ市クリチャック・ロール地区のモデルシステム

Karangwaru District
Yogyakarta City

40 Units have been constructed and being operated(12 units will be added in 2019)
Slerok District
Tegal City

Landungsari District
Pekalongan City

Pasekan Belodan District(Tabanan Regency)

Other than domestic waste water, 3-D Lattice RBC have been used in 39 units
system for Hospital and Small Industries’ waste water treatment in Indonesia

Other than Indonesia & Japan, RBC with ThreeDimensional Lattice Contactors is now being
diffused in China

Photo:Sekisui Aqua System Co.,Ltd.

Evaluation of Technology Choice in This Case
0P-1. Appropriate
P-2. Job Opportunity

E-1. Keep Limits
E-2. Sust. ResourcesE-3. EcologicalE-4.Decetralized
E-5.Respect Nature
D-1. Non-commercial
D-2.Controllable
D-3.HRD

50100

Let us Attain Our Sustainable Futurewith Appropriate Technology Choice !