The Final Draft

Opening New Paradigm of International Development: With Energy Engineering

 

30320 정승원

 

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