Opening New Paradigm of International Development: With Energy Engineering
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These days, one
of the serious issues that this world needs to solve is the economic
development so that people can live a better life. Since developing countries
cannot achieve successfully without the aid from other countries, the
cooperation for international development is highly required. Therefore,
through the Conference of United Nations Millennium Goal, the world leaders
have decided to expand the assistance to the developing countries, for the
purpose of preserving their stable life as human beings. Also in 2015, the
world leaders have agreed to make zero poverty through the sustainable
development, at the conference of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal.
This shows the world leaders’ passion for reducing poverty around the world would
make this world a better place to live in. Accordingly, a lot of individual
countries and international organizations plan to expand the amount of
international development assistance.
However, the
situation in the developing countries have not improved that much. Still, lack
of development in developing countries causes lots of problems such as health,
famine, lack of access to clean water and electricity. But many experts on
international development assistance, who works for United Nations Development
Program say that the most import factor that should be implemented at first is the
electricity infrastructure. That’s because it gives basic power for further
development. For example, if electricity is provided, water pumps can be used
to get clean water, machines can be used to facilitate farming which can
increase productivity and bright light can be available at night which will
prevent crimes. Actually, in Haiti, where USAID (United States Agency for
International Development) provides development aid, it has been reported that
the access to electricity significantly has changed not only development
process, which means the accelerated speed, but also the quality of their lives
which has been significantly improved. Even though these kinds of benefits
require the precondition that other entire infrastructure is already implemented,
the fact that access to electricity is crucial seems so clear.
Although the
world leaders have agreed that all the nations should pursue the sustainable
development at the Sustainable Development Summit, it’s hard for developing
countries to implement a huge power plant, which generates lots of carbon
emission. Also implementing a huge power plant, such as one using coal or
nuclear, costs tremendous amount of money. Therefore, the type of power plant
they need is something that uses the sustainable or renewable energy which fits
the goal for sustainable development and the lower cost. That’s the reason why
I chose Energy Engineering as the study that would bring huge benefits when it
is integrated with International Development Studies.
In order to
integrate both studies in effective way, we need to understand the nature of both.
Firstly, International Development Studies is the one that researches how to
understand and cooperate with local community which needs support and how to
provide essential properties such as water and electricity, sustainable farming
and etc. Also it contributes to decide what the priority is in countries facing
difficulties due to the effects of human or natural disasters and how
international aid could work in effective way. Secondly, Energy Engineering
conducts research on the method to reduce carbon emission, represented by CCS
(Carbon Capture and Storage) technology and many other means to save energy.
Also it researches on developing various types of renewable energy, including
solar, and water.
So what we can
get when we integrate both studies when providing international development aid
to developing countries? First of all, an international development study
carefully examines each circumstance that individual community faces. They
especially consider social aspect, which thin about people in the community.
For example, international development studies researches fatality rate, birth
rate, literacy rate and other measures that are essential to provide
development aid. Meanwhile, the expert of energy engineering considers
environmental impact and conditions, thereby deciding the appropriate type of
renewable energy, ranging from hydro, solar, thermal and other feasible way. Then,
it starts to implement those facilities. After that, the experts of both studies
constitute a joint task force and decide how to sustain the implemented
facilities by local people, which is really important in international
development aid since the purpose of aid is to educate to retain ability to
sustain their lives by themselves. Therefore, the joint task force considers
various issues such as how to educate local people to sustain the power plant
operation on their own. Once it is done, international developers seems to have
successfully implemented an electricity facility which fits in local community
in both social and environmental aspect, being regarded as effective and
efficient project. Based on that, expert of international developments can
start working on other matters such as access to fresh water, education,
farming and etc.
International
development studies can integrate all the kinds of studies such as agriculture,
civil engineering, education, medication and etc. That’s because it deals with
all the issues that people in developing countries faces. However, the reason
why I chose energy engineering as the study that can be integrated with
international development studies is that electricity enables further
development in easier way. It means that with electricity, other aspect of
development be well promoted.
Effectiveness
is one of the most important factors that should be considered in international
development aid because there are lots of people in need and we do not possess
perfect ability to support them. As mentioned, with electricity, it can become
efficient. However, we should not forget that just implementing whatever type
of power plant can harm its effectiveness. That’s the reason why we need to
integrate both studies; international development studies and energy engineering.
By integrating these two studies, which structure the basic part of international
development aid, we will be able to help others in more efficient and effective
way. By doing so, we can contribute to reduce poverty and preserve people’s
stable lives so that we can make a better world for everyone.
Reference
김대환 (2010). OECD/DAC 가입과 KOICA의 환경 및 기후변화 ODA 추진전략. 국제개발협력,
2010(2), 10-31.
임소영 (2011). 개발도상국 개발협력에 대한 기후변화 통합화 방안 및 방글라데시의 적용사례. 환경정책, 19(3), 25-60.
Sustainable
Development Report, UNDP, 2011
ADB. 2011. Annual Report.
UN. 2011. The Millennium Development
Goals Report.
World Bank. 2010. Annual Report.
https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/frontlines/energy-infrastructure/electricity-sparks-life-northern-haiti
