Week 4 Engineers and Society

Engineering in a social context
By its
i very nature engineering
i
i is
i closely
l l related
l d to
society and human behavior. Every product or
construction
i usedd by
b modern
d
society
i are influenced
i fl
d by
b
engineering design. Engineering design is a very
powerful
f l tooll to make
k changes
h
to environment,
i
society
i
and economies, and its application brings with it a
great responsibility.
ibili

Many Engineering Institutions have established codes
of practice and codes of ethics to guide members and
inform the public at large. Engineering projects can be
subject to controversy. Examples from different
engineering disciplines include the development of
nuclear weapons, the Three Gorges Dam, the design
and use of Sports Utility Vehicles and the extraction of
oil. In response, some western engineering companies
have enacted serious Corporate and Social
Responsibility policies.
2

Engineering is a key driver of human development.
Sub-Saharan
Sub
Saharan Africa in particular has a very small
engineering capacity which results in many African
nations being unable to develop significant
infrastructure without outside aid.
The attainment of many of the Millennium
Development Goals requires the achievement of
adequate engineering capacity to develop
infrastructure and sustainable technological
development.

All overseas development and relief NGOs make
considerable use of engineers to apply solutions in
disaster and development scenarios. A number of
charitable organizations aim to use engineering
directly for the good of mankind:
Engineers Without Borders
Engineers Against Poverty
Registered Engineers for Disaster Relief
Engineers for a Sustainable World
Cultural presence of Engineering

Engineering is a well respected profession. For
example, in Canada it ranks as one of the public
public'ss most
trusted professions.
Sometimes engineering has been seen as a somewhat
dry, uninteresting field in popular culture(commonly
abbreviated as pop culture, can be defined as the sum
of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, images and other
phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal
consensus within the mainstream of a given
culture(wikipedia).

One difficulty in increasing public awareness of the
profession is that average people, in the typical run of
ordinary life, do not ever have any personal dealings
with engineers, even though they benefit from their
work every day. By contrast, it is common to visit a
doctor at least once a year, the accountant at tax time,
and, occasionally, even a lawyer.
This has not always been so - most British school
children in the 1950s were brought up with stirring
tales of 'the
the Victorian Engineers
Engineers',, chief amongst whom
were the Brunels, the Stephensons, Telford and their
contemporaries.
6

Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859)was best known for
the creation of the Great Western Railway, a series of famous
steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic
steamship, and numerous important bridges and tunnels. His
d i
designs
revolutionised
l ti i d public
bli transport
t
t andd modern
d
day
d
engineering.
George Stephenson (1781 1848) was an English civil
engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public
railway line in the world to use steam locomotives and is
known as the "Father of Railways".
Thomas Telford (1757 - 1834) was a stonemason, architect
and civil engineer
g
and a noted road,, bridge
g and canal builder.
7

In science fiction engineers are often portrayed as
highly knowledgeable and respectable individuals who
understand the overwhelming future technologies. The
Star Trek characters Montgomery Scott, Geordi La
Forge, Miles O'Brien, B'Elanna Torres, and Charles
Tucker III are famous examples.
Occasionally, engineers may be recognized by the
"Iron
Iron Ring"--a
Ring a stainless steel or iron ring worn on the
little finger of the dominant hand. This tradition began
in 1925 in Canada for the Ritual of the Calling of an
Engineer as a symbol of pride and obligation for the
engineering profession.
8

Some years later in 1972 this practice was adopted
by several colleges in the United States.
States Members
of the US Order of the Engineer accept this ring as
a pledge to uphold the proud history of
engineering.
A Professional
P f i l Engineer's
E i
' name may bbe ffollowed
ll
d
by the post-nominal letters PE or P.Eng in North
A
America.
i In muchh off Europe a professional
f i l
engineer is denoted by the letters IR, while in the
UK and much of the Commonwealth the term
Chartered Engineer applies and is denoted by the
letters CEng.
Cultural and Social Dimension

How is the work of engineers shaping the society ?
How can we accomplish engineering social
responsibility nowadays and in the longer term ?
Technology shaping social changes
Reduction of poverty
Improvement in health
Lessened appeal of socialism
Rise of living standard
Invention and discoveries
Mass production
Sustainable development
11
E i
Engineering
i S
Social
i lR
Responsibility
ibilit
What do we mean by this? You have
p
social responsibility
p
y
heard of corporate
that is how organisations take into account
the economic
economic, social and environmental
impacts of the way they operate.
As engineers, we can apply similar
precautionary
p
yp
principles.
p
12
E i
Engineering
i S
Social
i lR
Responsibility
ibilit
There is an opportunity, and indeed a moral
obligation, for us to set a standard of
engineering design that benefits the
environment in both the long
g and the shortterm.
There are major forces at play: climate
change, water shortages and energy issues,
all of which mean we must constantly think
about the overall sustainability of our designs.
13
A Response
p
to Climate Change
g
In response to climate change, going
carbon neutral is a way to reduce the
impacts associated to the greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions created during the
business or production cycle. Given that
climate
li t change
h
iis a worldwide
ld id
phenomenon, the concept of carbon
neutrality is based on the principle that a
GHG emissions reduction achieved
elsewhere has the same positive effect as a
reduction made locally.
14
Why go carbon neutral?

Motives to develop a robust corporate or
product carbon-neutral strategy
p
gy may
y be
based on one or more of these elements:
Regulatory.
Regulatory By voluntarily measuring and
assigning costs to carbon emissions, a
company can prepare for
f a future
f
carbony in which GHG
constrained economy
emissions are regulated and/or taxed.
15

Financial. Effectively managing GHG
p companies
p
g
generate
emissions can help
long-term value by cutting costs, reducing
risk and increasing revenues
risk,
revenues. Going
carbon neutral can be a central part of this
management strategy and can help to
establish a framework for identifying and
pursuing cost-effective emissions
g opportunities.
pp
reduction and savings
16

Marketing. Demonstrating environmental
l d hi on the
leadership
h corporate, product,
d
or
g brand
service level can create strong
presence, increase customer loyalty, and
appeal to new clients and the general
public. First movers in the area of carbon
neutrality
t lit are lik
likely
l tto gain
i an edge
d over
business-as-usual competitors, particularly
as environmental awareness and public
opinion
op
o o
on cclimate
ate cchange
a ge g
grows.
o s
17

Corporate Social Responsibility.
N
Neutralizing
li i GHG emissions
i i
iis a powerful
f l
y to show stakeholders ((e.g.,
g
way
customers, shareholders, community,
nongovernmental organizations) that a
company is taking responsibility for
emissions and addressing climate change
change.
By going carbon neutral, a firm can have a
significant
i ifi
t positive
iti iimpactt on world
ld
climate.
18
Carbon offsets
When releasing GHG emissions into the
atmosphere, a company can effectively
neutralize their global warming impact by
purchasing carbon offsets.
Offsets are emissions reductions achieved
y projects
p j
elsewhere,, such as energy
gy
by
efficiency investments, wind farms, or
solar installations
installations. By purchasing these
reductions, a firms emissions levels and
their net climate impact are red
reduced.
ced
19
Carbon offsets
Offset purchases will form the final
component of a carbon neutral program,
supplementing measures taken to reduce
the organization carbon footprint, including
th
those
related
l t d tto iinternal
t
l abatement
b t
t and
d
green power purchases.
20
A Response to Climate Change

Carbon Neutrality
y
Hence this term has been used to describe a
variety of different policies, ranging from
operational activities (e
(e.g.
g running a
Government department) to the planning of a
new city
city.
21
Socialengineering akeyelementof
sustainableengineering
Socialengineeringcanbeseenasmethodicalapproachto
overcomeoppositionagainstaproject. Factualconcernscan
bemetbyrationalarguments emotionalconcernshaveto
bedealtwithonemotionallevel.
Whatkindofconcernsdopeoplehave?
Concernoflosingmoney
Concernofpersonalsafetyandhealth
Concernofhavinganykindofdisadvantage
Concernofdecreaseoflivingcondition
Concernofanyunexpectedalterationintheirlife
Concernedtobetricked
Source:http://www.esha.be/fileadmin/esha_files/documents/SHERPA/Report_on_mechanism_of_social_engineering.pdf
Socialengineeringmeansaccompanying
technicalandeconomicaspectswiththegreat
varietyofsocialaspects.
Socialengineeringwillneverstandalone.
Necessarilyitneedsaprojecttodealwith.The
finaltargetisthefactualimplementationofan
idea.
PublicInvolvement
From a general point of view the first step is
to identify who is really involved by the project and
what are the interests. Generally it is possible to
distinguish between local inhabitants, who want to
protect their own interest, the local enterprises,
who are interested in working opportunities, the
research organizations and/or universities, who can
be involved from a scientific point of view and
finally representatives of the government but also
nongovernmental organizations. Each of these
bodies mentioned is animated by different kind of
interest, which should be firstly identified and
precisely defined.
PublicInvolvement
PublicInvolvement
PublicInvolvement
How is it possible to divulge the scientific and technical
information to common people? For sure there is need for
documents, reviews and summaries explaining in a simple way
the background and the fundamental aspects of the design. This
direct involvement of people is a process which can be carried
out effectively through a series of informational meetings and
public hearings. During these meetings it is possible to urge the
population in the decision making process. Participation is, as
described, much more than giving information and may have
significant influence on the engineering contents of the scheme.
The engineer should not principally resist other ideas but it is his
job to evaluate new ideas and to check whether they can be
implemented, modified or rejected.
Case Study:
Creation of A Sustainable City
in China
C a
22
Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city:

A Model Sustainable City
Presentation for Australian Mission
1 March 2011
Jonathan Loh
Senior Manager
Economic Promotion
Needs for Sustainable

Development in China
Presentation
7th Aug. 09
Page 2
Sustainable Urban Development is The Industry

Urban solutions create new global businesses
In 20 years, China's cities will have
added 350 million peoplemore than
the entire population of the United
States today or 2 New York cities a year.
The countrys urban population will
reach 926 million by 2025 and top 1
billion by 2030
As part of the global deal to tackle
climate change, China has pledged to
slash its greenhouse emission gases
per unit of economic output by 40-45%
by 2020
Page 3
Sustainable Urban Development is The Industry

Growing urban demands for a better life
China by 2025:
Build 900 to 1,100 gigawatts of power

production capacity
Pave five billion square meters of road
Lay 28,000 kilometers of commuter rail
Develop 20,000 to 50,000 skyscrapers
Page 4
Site Selection
The Chinese Government set two criteria for the location of the Eco-city site:
(a) should be developed on non
non-arable
arable land
(b) should be located in an area facing water shortage.
Four possible locations were identified:
(1) Baotou (Inner Mongolia) (2) Tangshan (Hebei province), (3) Tianjin municipality and
(4) Urumqi
U
i (Xinjiang).
(Xi ji
)
Source:http://www.tianjinecocity.gov.sg/bg_intro.htm
Sino-Singapore Tianjin
Eco-City in the Making
Presentation
7th Aug. 09
Page 5
Tianjin Eco-City
Flagship bilateral project between China &
Singapore that draws on national
resources
Agreement between Premier Wen Jiabao and Senior

Minister Goh Chok Tong on 2nd flagship bilateral
project after Suzhou Industrial Park
Determination of both countries to respond to the

needs of sustainable development
Key focus is to be replicable, scalable, practicable
Tianjin chosen as location
Total Land Area:

~ 30 sq km
Start-up Area:
~ 4 sq km
Target Population:
350,000
Estimated no of homes:
110,000
Resid GFA: 4.4 mil sqm
Resid GFA:2.9 mil sqm

Page 6
Government Leadership and Commitment

Eco-City has highest level of attention and involvement from both Govts
Joint Steering Council on Eco-City
(Deputy Prime Minister Level)
Chaired by PRC Vice-Premier Wang Qishan and Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng
Joint Working Committee on Eco-City

(Ministerial Level)
Chaired by PRC Minister for Housing and Urban-Rural Development and Singapore Minister for National Devt
Lead Ministries assigned to oversee Eco-City project

Ministry for Housing and Urban-Rural Devt (China) and Ministry of National Development (Singapore)
Strong Involvement of Local Governments and other Government agencies
Tianjin Municipal Government

TBNA Government
Eco-City Administrative Committee
Page 7
Commercially Driven Approach

90%
10%
Tianjin TEDA Investment 35%

Holdings Co.
Keppel Group
Singbridge
Singapore Consortium
50%
China
Development Bank
20%
Investors
45%
Chinese Consortium
Eco-City (JV)
Registered Capital: RMB 4bn

Page 8
50%
Bohai Rim Region Citius, Altius, Fortius

Third economic growth pole of China, economic center of Northern
China
Bohai
Liaoning
Rim
Beijing
Tianjin
Hebei
Shandong
Yangtze
River
Delta
Pearl River Delta
Page 9
Bohai Rim Region Citius, Altius, Fortius

Bohai Rim leading the way First in
pop size, land area and GDP
Bohai Rim
Region
Yangtze River
Delta
Pearl River Delta
Areas covered
Beijing, Tianjin,
Hebei, Liaoning,
Shandong
Shanghai,
Zhejiang,
Jiangsu
Guangzhou,
Shenzhen, Zhuhai,
Foshan, Jiangmen,
Dongguan,
Zhongshan,
Huizhou, Zhaoqing
Population (million)
225.7
85.3
42.3
Land area (km2)
521,800
50,000
41,698
2009 GDP
(RMB billion
9,000 -10,000
7,179
3,210
Region GDP as a total

percentage of Chinas
GDP
30%
(Estimated to be
over 30% in
2010)
21.4%
9.6%
Page 10
Tianjin & TBNA the Heart of Bohai

TBNA and Tianjin outperform China
Average
annual GDP
growth from
2000 2010
China: 9.9%
Tianjin:
14.7%
TBNA: 20.9%
Total investment in fixed assets in TBNA increasing since 2005

Growth rate of investment in TBNA has been higher than China and Tianjin
since 2006
Tianjin and TBNAs GDP consistently above Chinas average
Page 11
Choosing the Right Site to Pioneer

Eco-City Development
Tianjins vibrant economy
Economic Center of the Bohai

sea region, an international port
city , the economic centre of
North of China
Tianjin achieve 17.4% growth
rate in 2010
Home to Tianjin Binhai New
Area (TBNA)
One of the districts with
highest profit margin for
SinoSingapore overseas investors in China
TianjinEcoCity TBNA achieved 25.1% growth
rate in 2010
Page 12
Choosing the Right Site to Pioneer Eco-City Development

B
ei
Be
ijin
g-T
i
an
jin
-Ta
ngg
u Hig
hw
ay
Hangu
ay
w
h
g
l Hi
a
t
s
Eco-cityCoa
Hanbei Road
Coastal Resort
Ce
nt
Tianjin
ji n
gTi
an
Jinhan semi
jin
expressway
H
i
gh
w
ay
ra
Ta
n
l Bo
Ro gha
u
n
ad
lev
a
rd
Beijing
Binhai New Area
Page 13
Train travel in China redefined

at 350 km/hr
Choosing the Right Site to Pioneer

Eco-City Development
To Date, more than 200 projects established by
over 120 Fortune 500 Companies In TBNA
Page 14
Master Plan
Master Plan sets out the land uses
for the various land parcels.
Eco City
Land Area
Resid GFA
Population
30 sq km
14.4 mil sqm
350,000
Startup Area (SUA)

Land Area
4 sq km
Resid GFA
2.9 mil sqm
Population
85,000
SUA to be completed in 3-5 yrs, the
rest in 10-15 yrs.
Page 15
Development Roles of SSTEC

Eco City Builder
Development of Road and Main
Water Pipes Infrastructure
Development of Business Park
Development of Public Housing
Development of Commercial &
Residential projects
Page 16
Tianjin Eco-citys
KPIs
3. 100% potable tap water

20. 50% non-traditional
resource
21. >50nos researches/

engineers per 10000
labor force
10. <120L/d per

capita
18. >20% public

housing provision
22. >50%
employment housing
equilibrium index
2. Meet Grade IV standard
7. 100%
green
building
6. Zero loss of natural

wetland
9. Green space >12m2 per
capita
8. Local plant index >0.7
17. 100%
coverage
1. Ambient air quality to

meet Grade II > 310 d /yr
4. Noise pollution 100%
meet respective functional
area standard
11. Domestic waste generation

<0.8kg/d
15. 100% non-hazardous
treatment
13. >60% overall recycling rate
19. >20%
renewable
energy use
16. 100% barrier free accessibility
14. Free recreational/sports
facilities within walking distance of
500m
5. <150ton-C/mil US$
GDP
Page 17
12. >30% green trips by 2013
- >90% green trips by 2020
Development Update
Presentation
7th Aug. 09
Page 18
Developing a place call home

Internationally renowned developers secured in the last 2 years have
invested a total of about RMB 55 billion
Chinese Consortium
TECID
Singapore Consortium
Page 19
Residential & Commercial Development

The best ideas coming online
Waterfront lifestyle
Eco-CBD
Water-based activities
LOHAS
Qing Tuo Zi
Entertainment hub
of SUA
Eco-lifestyle museum
Page 20
Eco Public Housing
First of its kind green public housing

Focus on energy efficiency
100% green buildings (1 star or
LEED entry level
A living environment that fosters
community spirit and social
harmony
Surbana as master-planner to
bring in Singapore experience
1st Phase:
500 units (PH) &

223 units (RH)
Page 21
Community Development
GEMS International School
GEMS World Academy at Plot 2
Construction start in 1H 2010

Planned total student population: 2190
Provide for N-Yr 13, (i.e. age group 4yrs19yrs old, Kinder, Elementary, High
School and 6th Form)
Target to achieve GBES Silver Award
Page 22
Community Development
Elderly Apartments and Hospital at Plot 12b
Sanctuary for the Elderly
Land Area 5.9 ha
Plot Ratio 1.6
Residential GFA 54,400sqm
Residential Land Area 3.4ha
Hospital GFA 35,000sqm
Hospital Land Area - 2.5ha
Page 23
World Class University Campus

Intention: To set up a modern and forward looking world class university
campus to supply quality pool of graduates and professionals for Eco-CBD,
Eco-city and the region
Planning considerations: Committed to engage and tackle the
environmental issues of our times by developing strengths in green
technology, eco-financing, planning and designing, R&D.
Page 24
Nankai Branch School in Eco-City

Existing Nankai Campus in Tianjin
Located at Nankai Fourth Road

Occupies some 7.67 ha of land, GFA of 49,000 sqm
Comprises a High School and an International
School Dept
Total enrolment of about 2,000 students with more
than 140 teachers for various grades
Nankai School is recognized as the best middle
school in Tianjin.
Site
Page 25
Aerial view of Tianjin Eco-city site in 2007, 2011 and 2012

2007
2011
2012
Source:http://www.tianjinecocity.gov.sg/bg_intro.htm
Economic Positioning and

Key Economic Development Platforms
Presentation
7th Aug. 09
Page 26
Our Targeted Industry Clusters

Eco Built: The business parks and
industrial park will be built to showcase
key eco technologies and a good
benchmark will be one-north project
Clean Energy
Green
Buildings
Clean Water
Eco & Urban Solutions: Clean Energy,
Water & Wastewater, Solid Waste
Treatment, Green Buildings & Green
Transport
Economic
Clusters
Waste & Envt
Management
Green
Transport
LOHAS
Eco-friendly Hi-tech Industries:

Supplementary eco-friendly services &
industries such as Software
Development & IT Industry Animation,
Gaming, Web Design, ITO, BPO
Page 27
Eco Industrial Park (Mfg for ecoindustries)

Prototype production
Final assembly
Logistics
ECO-CITY OVERALL
INDUSTRIAL
CLUSTER
DISTRIBUTION
National Animation Centre

ICT
IDM
Media School
Eco Business Park

(R&D for eco-industries)
Clean energy
Green building
Green transport
Page 28 IT/BPO
Economic Development
Eco-Industrial Park
-GBES certified buildings, ecoinspired surroundings conducive
for boosting productivity
- Full spectrum of greenfield,
ready-built, customized building
solutions
-High quality factory & logistics
spaces with practical and
optimized designs and layouts
-Modern neighborhood amenities
and workers dormitories
Industrial Clusters
Green Building
Clean Energy
Green Transport
Clean Water
Waste Management
Environment Management
Logistics
Warehousing
Distribution Center
Page 29
Ready-Built Factory
Plug-and-Play solutions
GBES certified
Energy-, water-, lighting-efficient
buildings
Modular buildings with individual
character and flexibility
Adoption of Eco-Technologies
and >5% renewable energy
consumption
Completion mid-2011
Page 30
Eco-Business Park
- Unique integrated environment with an
eco-inspired ambience
- Conducive for R&D, IT professionals and
creative talent
-Work-Play elements, balanced
community lifestyle
-Ecologically sustainable green design
features and LEED Silver
Certification
()
SITOJiaHua
(Beijing)
InvestmentCo.,
Ltd
Page 31
Clusters
Research & Development
Innovation & Incubation
Testing & Certification
BPO/ITO
Regional Headquarters
Data Centers
Software Development
Training and Education
Multi-media or Animation
Other high-value supporting services
Ready-Built Offices
Pre-built modular spaces - provide
ease and flexibility to companies
seeking fast start-ups solutions
Unique green building features with
artistic and exuberant composition
Inspiring working environment
conducive to research and
knowledge-intensive activities
Lushly landscaped grounds and
integration of a wide range of retail
and recreational amenities
Page 32
Poverty
alleviation:
the role of
the engineer
Poverty in rural areas tends to be more widespread and more

intense than in urban areas, because:
David Singleton
Poverty alleviation strategies
Introduction
The statistics on world poverty are frightening. Close to half the
worlds 6bn people live on less than US$2 a day; conversely
1% of the population has an income equal to that of the entire
bottom 57%1. But poverty is not only about lack of wealth in
monetary terms; it also implies the denial of various choices
and opportunities basic to human development. These include
the ability to lead a long, creative and healthy life, to acquire
knowledge, to have freedom, dignity, self-respect and respect
for others, and to have access to the resources needed for a
decent standard of living.2
Community infrastructure is key to alleviating poverty and
thus engineers have an essential role to play. Without ready
access to clean water and sanitation, productivity is severely
reduced through illness and time spent in water collection.
Without roads, the poor are unable to sell their goods at
market. Basic infrastructure is not a luxury that can wait for
better economic times, but a precondition for creating them,
and its provision is an urgent and ongoing requirement.
The Economist has observed that over the past 50 years
rich nations have given US$1 trillion in aid to poor ones. This
stupendous sum has failed spectacularly to improve the lot of
its intended beneficiaries. Poor countries that receive lots of aid
do no better, on average, than those that receive very little3.
Poverty is thus not being ignored, but alleviation strategies
must be more effective for relief to be achieved.
The origins of poverty
To begin solving poverty, its origins must be clearly understood.
The basic causes are:
lack of access to safe water and sanitation
lack of facilities for adequate health care
lack of access to educational opportunities
shortage of adequate nutrition
lack of adequately paid employment
inadequate or expensive transport facilities
Employment opportunities are more limited.

Access to a range of key facilities is much reduced.
Many households are headed by women
often due to abandonment of families by the males,
with commensurate reduction in income.
Sanitation and water supply deficiencies are more
intense, leading to ill health.
The trend in developing countries worldwide - whereby
male family members gravitate to urban areas in search of
employment - often reduces the rural familys ability to survive
in a subsistence economy.
Historically, poverty alleviation strategies have focused on direct
intervention to provide facilities that are lacking. Investments by
international lending agencies over the past two to three
decades have concentrated on solutions to deficiencies in
infrastructure that are usually expensive, often with apparently
limited thought to ongoing operation and maintenance. Local
observers in several recipient countries, and other stakeholders,
have commented on inadequacies in the implemented projects
and programmes:
lack of planning for ongoing operation
and maintenance of the facilities
limited attention to the development
of a sense of ownership by the local community
political interference and intervention
allocation of funds to countries without
a poverty alleviation strategy of their own
corruption, leading to ineffectiveness of investment.
At the recent Rio+10 Sustainability Summit, both the United
Nations and the World Bank called for alleviation strategies
involving no more hardware, noting that major investments
over the last 20-30 years in water infrastructure schemes had
often failed to benefit the people at whom they were aimed.
This is because most facilities involving technology are generally
abandoned within two years, as revenue streams are insufficient
to pay for repairs and maintenance and because of the lack of
local skills to carry out repairs. Corruption is also often a barrier.
In agreeing to a target to halve the number of people without
sanitation globally by 2020, the Summit noted that emphasis
should be on smaller-scale solutions suited to local capabilities,
understanding and skills. The role of engineers in delivering
infrastructure schemes needs to change significantly.
Again over the last 20-30 years, experience with implementing
large-scale infrastructure improvement projects has led to
an improved understanding of the conditions necessary for
sustainable reduction in poverty levels:
The local community must be empowered
by the decision-making process.
limited or expensive power supplies.
The local community must be involved in

ongoing operation and maintenance.
Urban and rural poverty generally have different causes, though

not mutually exclusive. The main causes of urban poverty are
likely to be:
National and regional governments must also be

involved in the project.
lack of adequate income or no income, due to

underemployment or unemployment
Project selection must favour those projects

that lead to economic growth.
inadequate housing, sanitation, and water supply
Strength of the market economy is a prerequisite

to economic growth.
limited opportunities for education

inadequate or expensive transport facilities.
Poor health and lack of access to education tend to minimize
skills, compounding the problems of un- or underemployment,
leading to reduction of income-earning capacity.
The predominant causes of rural poverty are likely to be:
lack of access to health care and education
inadequate shelter, sanitation, and water supply
lack of access to markets for agricultural products
limited opportunity to earn income
inadequate or expensive transport facilities
no access to power and telecommunications facilities.
1a & b. Problem and solution

(see Case study 2, p5).
Close involvement of the local community will improve

the chances of project success; it needs to be owned.
Poverty alleviation requires interventions that involve
considerable social and cultural change. Poverty has many
aspects, and solutions require more than a technical or
engineering basis. Provision of infrastructure alone will not
alleviate poverty, without access to that infrastructure.
We can ask such questions as:
What good is a road if there is no means of transport?
What good is a latrine if it is not being used?
What good is a water supply system if it is in disrepair?
In developing strategies to alleviate poverty, we must take
account of and address these wider issues.
This article is an
edited version of
the Fourth Brunel
International
Lecture 2002/03,
given under the
auspices of the
Institution of Civil
Engineers, by
David Singleton,
Chairman of
Arup Australasia.
THE ARUP JOURNAL 1/2003
Sound engineering solutions to poverty alleviation

Engineering solutions are integral to mitigating poverty;
however, engineering is not the sole contributor to successful
poverty alleviation programmes, which also entail attention to
social, economic, and political influences. Sustainable
engineering will be achieved when the engineering solutions
adopted take into account their use of natural resources.
Optimum solutions will have a positive or neutral impact on
natural resource consumption. Unsound engineering solutions,
by comparison, may leave the environment depleted and
society poorer over time.
Life-cycle engineering takes into account the operational
and maintenance cost of the engineering solutions proposed,
such that the completed projects have effective and affordable
operational and maintenance regimes.
Empowered engineering will take into account the capabilities
of the local community, particularly its engineering and technical
professions. Where possible, the solutions developed will
involve local professional and technical staff and will establish
an on-going engineering and operational resource.
Case study 1:
Australian remote Aboriginal communities
Appropriate engineering will consider various options that

meet the engineering needs of the project and may adopt
techniques of labour-based construction, which differs
significantly from labour-intensive construction. The latter
basically substitutes men for machines, eg constructing a
concrete-framed building where the concrete is mixed by
hand without a mechanical mixer. Labour-based construction,
by contrast, aims to change the technology involved to what
is appropriate for manual labour, eg eliminating the concrete
frame and building the structure of load-bearing masonry.
Labour-based construction has been shown to compare
favourably with plant-based construction4. In addition, it
facilitates knowledge transfer, creates jobs, encourages
private enterprise, creates ownership, and may reduce cost.
The following five case studies illustrate engineering
applications to poverty mitigation programmes and
identify the associated social, economic, and political
actions put in place.
Each shows sound and appropriate engineering.
Project details
Arup has undertaken many projects across the globe

addressing the lack of access to basic infrastructure.
For example, we have extensive involvement in water
supply and sanitation projects in Botswana5, and in
health, housing, and community infrastructure projects
for indigenous communities throughout Australia6.
This pilot project was implemented in six remote communities

in Queensland. It was a grassroots initiative for indigenous
communities that aimed to:
Project background
develop and support a culture of

asset management
The Infrastructure Operation and Maintenance Project for the

Aboriginal Co-ordinating Council (ACC) commenced in 1999,
with a budget of A$6M and a planned duration of three years.
The project was instigated in response to the challenges faced
in Queenslands remote indigenous communities in developing
and maintaining infrastructure. Limited recurrent funds and the
difficulties in acquiring appropriate technical and management
skills in remote communities resulted in low infrastructure
lifecycles, and thus lower standards of living and poor health.
improve the health and wellbeing

of their people
protect investment of capital funds

in their infrastructure.
Arup was appointed as project co-ordinator to oversee the
project and liaise with communities, funding and training
agencies. The firms role included the development and
implementation of technical and management on the job
training (during Stage 1, 21 Trainees completed Certificate 2
in Essential Services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Commission (ATSIC) communities through the Technical and
Further Education Programme (TAFE)), the implementation of
best practice in infrastructure asset management, raising
awareness among community members of the importance of
caring for infrastructure assets, and the need to establish
mechanisms for permanent Essential Services Officer positions.
2. Drilling a borehole.
3. Installation of piped water services.
Case study 2:
South African roundabout HIV/AIDS initiative
Project background
The AIDS epidemic is tearing apart the social and economic
fabric of many African nations. 70% of the worlds AIDS-infected
adults and 80% of infected children live in Sub-Saharan Africa.
There are 11M child AIDS orphans, and grandparents are
forced to assume the responsibility for childrearing7. Affected
families lose income-earning capacity, both through the absence
of the income earner and the time and cost incurred in nursing
the infected. The problem compounds itself: poverty is a key
factor leading to the behaviour that exposes people to risk of
HIV infections, and the resulting HIV compounds the poverty.
ZIMBABWE
BOTSWANA
NAMIBIA
MOZ.
Pietersburg
Pretoria
Johannesburg
Project details
Upington
The concept is simple: a childs playground roundabout bolted

on top of an existing borehole, with the energy of the children
at play harnessed to pump drinking water into an overhead
storage tank screened with billboards promoting HIV/AIDS
awareness to the children and communities. There is a
communal tap at ground level. Each roundabout/pump costs
US$5000, and is based on standard windmill equipment located
below ground8.
The above-ground equipment includes the tank and galvanized
sheet as advertising boards, available at any farm supply store.
Project construction and replication are helped by the use of
standard and easily procurable materials.
Messina
Ladysmith
Kimberley
Bloemfontein
SWAZILAND
LESOTHO
Durban
De Aar
Saldanha
Cape
Town
0
50
East London
Mosselbaal
100 km
Richards
Bay
Port Elizabeth
Area where roundabouts
have been installed
5. Southern Africa.
Play power has advantages over conventional energy sources.

It is clean, renewable, and robust, and the borehole recovers
naturally during the night. There is no risk of pumping dry or
engine burnout if the pump is accidentally left on overnight.
At least 50% of the billboard space promotes health-related
information, in particular on HIV and AIDS. This is an effective
advertising medium in the absence of conventional first world
media like newspapers, magazines, television, and the Internet.
Revenue from commercial advertisers in the remaining space
will provide a regular flow of income for the manufacture of
new roundabouts and to cover maintenance costs. Women
and young girls benefit from the saving of time and energy
previously spent fetching water for daily needs from deep wells
at long distances, and are placed at less risk. Also, they benefit
from the HIV/AIDS awareness campaign.
4. Play power.
Progress report
More than 300 roundabout pumps have been installed in
South Africa, each serving a community of over 2500 people.
Various improvements to standard of living have been noted,
including the ready availability of clean drinking water. This
reduces water-borne diseases like cholera, and helps in the
development of thriving vegetable farms providing fresh
produce for schools and for sale at market.
6. Children at play turning a roundabout bolted above an existing

borehole. This action works a pump enabling drinking water to be
pumped into an overhead storage tank screened with billboards
promoting HIV/AIDS awareness to the community.
Case study 3:
Micro-finance in Bangladesh
NEPAL
Project background
Bangladesh is one of the poorest, most densely populated,
and least developed nations in the world. With more than
125M inhabitants, it is the eighth most populous country in
the world - but with a per capita annual income estimated at
around US$2809. Situated in a low-lying delta where four
major river systems come together, the country is blessed with
highly fertile soil, but also suffers regular and severe flooding.
Shelter is one of the most basic requirements, but many
Bangladeshis cannot afford the cost of housing able to
withstand the monsoon and winter periods. Typical houses
are made of jute sticks placed side-by-side and cost between
US$25 and US$30. Such houses tend to collapse in moderately
severe weather. Even if constructed with bamboo walls and
hay/thatch roofing, at a significantly higher cost, they are not
very durable. As a result, almost every year, people replace or
repair the roof of their house at a cost of up to US$40. This
cost is increasing with the constant rise in price of bamboo and
hay. This ongoing expenditure is a heavy burden on the poor.
If they have no access to cash, people are forced to borrow
money from moneylenders at very high rates (10% per month)9.
This situation could be avoided if more durable shelter could
be constructed; in turn this depends on finance.
Project details
The Grameen Bank10, the largest rural credit institution in
Bangladesh, with 2.4M borrowers (95% of them female), was
established in 1976. The Bank recognizes that it is lack of
access to collateral rather than inability to make loan payments
that perpetuates poverty. Regular micro-enterprise loans are
typically disbursed to individuals for one year and are paid back
in weekly instalments at 2% of the loan amount, which is
normally no more than US$20 for the first loan. To participate
in the loan programme, a member must gather five people
with similar economic and social backgrounds who will agree
to apply for and sign together on loans (a group). A cluster of
groups (between two and 10) constitutes a centre, which is
presided over by two officials9. The borrowers group and centre
members must agree to stand behind the loan for the individual
member. The collateral system, based on peer support, means
that families help each other out with payment to ensure that
all repayments are made on time. Grameen Bank operates as
a specialized bank for the poor, generating income from its
investments; it is not reliant on donor funding. When the Bank
was formally incorporated in 1983, the original rural members
provided 40% of the initial capital: the Bangladesh government
contributed the rest. The Bank has since become largely
self-sufficient, with the government now holding less than
10% of the equity.
Housing loans: In 1984, the Bank started to lend money for
housing, and to date 450 000 houses have been built using
these loans. An average of 7000-8000 new loans are made
every month. Although exceptions are made for the poorest
of poor in dire need of shelter, relatively strict rules govern
these loans. To qualify for a housing loan, a member must
fulfil the following:
be an existing Bank borrower, with a 100% repayment
record, and have completely repaid their first two
loans from income generating activities
prove that they have an adequate income and
have acquired savings
have a history of regularly attending weekly meetings
provide legal documentation of land ownership where
the house will be built (if the member does not own
land, he/she is encouraged to use the loan towards
land purchase), and
must submit a proposal on the type of house planned
and devise a repayment schedule.
House design: The Grameen Bank developed house designs
for borrowers. The houses, although varying in appearance,
have the same basic structural components: four reinforced
concrete pillars on brick foundations at the corners and six
intermediary bamboo posts, with bamboo tie beams, wooden
rafters, and purlins supporting corrugated iron roofing sheets.
This design provides stability in flood and strong monsoon winds
and protection from rain. Although the borrower is responsible
for the construction of the house, the Bank ensures that it
meets basic health and safety requirements and achieves
minimum Grameen standards. Since mid-1998, the Bank has
required members to install a sanitary latrine with each house.
Rangpur
INDIA
7. Bangladesh.
Mymensingh
Sylhet
Rajshahi
Tungi
Dhaka
INDIA
Narayanganj
Jessore
Khulna
Mongla
Comilla
Barisal
Chittagong
Coxs
Bazar
0
50
100 km
MYANMAR
Progress report
The Bank operates efficiently and is widely considered
innovative, progressive, and corruption-free. The rate of
repayment for all loans is 98%, and for housing loans it is
close to 100%, compared to 25-30% for other banks.
Loans are currently available at 8% interest, again comparing
very favourably with the 20% interest charged for regular or
short-term loans from other banks9. The Bank provides
employment for 12 600 people.
To date, the Grameen Bank housing programme has assisted
hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi families to break out of
the downward spiral of poverty. A sturdy, well-built house is a
symbol of social status, so borrowers gain dignity and standing
within the community.
The larger houses give improved environments for work and
study, and hence have directly contributed to higher income
generation. It is estimated that 95% of borrowers children
attend school, well above the nationwide average.
By demanding standardized construction practices like the use
of cement pillars and installation of sanitary latrines, Grameen
Bank assists in improving the health and safety of borrowers.
In one survey, the general health of those with the new
Grameen houses compared well with those in pre-existing
or more traditional houses. Fever, influenza, and typhoid
(among other diseases) were down by almost 50%9.
Micro-credit programmes based on the Grameen
experience have been established in 56 other countries.
8. A group of borrowers
at their micro-credit
weekly meeting with the
Grameen Bank manager.
9 above: Typical housing before, and 10 below: after Grameen programme.
Case study 4:
BP solar energy project, Philippines
Project background
Progress report
The Philippines archipelago comprises around 7100 islands,

1000 of them inhabited. Less than a half exceed 2.5km2 in
area. Many of the villages (Barangays) dotted over the country
are remote and difficult to access by land or sea, so for many
connection to a national power grid is not feasible. Most district
hospitals and regional health units have little or no electricity,
and lack of lighting in community halls limits opportunities for
further education and involvement in community affairs. Many
villages rely on shallow wells or surface springs for their water,
hence water-borne disease is endemic. Latrines are unsanitary,
if existing at all.
MSIP commenced in November 1997 and completed

in May 2001. In total 1145 packaged solar systems
were installed in 11 Provinces, 53 Municipalities and
435 Barangays. The quality of life for over 720 000
people in some of the most remote and poorest
provinces of the Philippines has been improved12.
Improved health, safety, education, governance, and
easier access to potable water will bring about poverty
alleviation. The project improved local governance by
enhancing the ability of the Local Government Units
(LGU) to deliver essential social services and elicit the
participation of community organizations and individuals
in improved governance. Although it was necessary for
BP Solar to pull out of several areas over the life of the
project due to political uncertainty, an impressive list of
community facilities were upgraded:
Solar power can provide a highly effective, low-cost and

environmentally friendly alternative to extending power lines
and/or transporting generator fuel to these areas.
Project details
After the success of a solar power project completed in
Sri Lanka in 1993/94, BP Solar Australia approached the
Philippines government with a concept for large-scale
implementation of solar power across rural communities,
and received a favourable response.
The initial objective was to install about 1000 stand-alone
solar-powered equipment packages in 400 villages in remote
areas of Mindanao and Visayas provinces. At its time, this
was the largest solar contract in the world, at a total project
cost of US$27M. Fundamental to the projects success
was the simplicity of the funding, via a single loan recipient
- the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)
- through a grant (33%) plus a soft loan (67%), both from
the Australian government.
Community mobilization phase: Community involvement
throughout the entire duration of a project, fostering a sense
of ownership and responsibility, is essential for success. The
Municipal Solar Infrastructure Project (MSIP) was implemented
with the help of two full-time BP staff from Australia, but the
other 500 staff involved were Filipino, selected from the
communities they were to work in, enabling communication in
local dialects.
Prior to project finalization, officials used community assemblies
to introduce the project, discuss the benefits both to individuals
and the entire community, and explain the basics of solar
electricity. If the community - in particular the mayor - was
interested, agreements were made to proceed. Site and social
surveys were used to determine the development needs of
each community and to identify the means by which solar
energy could be best used as the enabling technology to meet
these needs. BP also spent time with each Barangay, exploring
revenue-generating activities that would enable them to pay for
the services provided by the solar-powered systems.
Four district hospitals, 11 rural health centres,

and 104 Barangay health centres: More than
half a million people will directly benefit from
improved services. Improved capacity to store and
utilize vaccines, and other medicines will reduce
infant maternal mortality rates, assist in tetanus
prevention, and improve general illness treatment.
0 50 100 km
Aparri
Angeles
Manila
Legaspi
Samar
Iloillo
Palawan
Iligan
Jolo
Mindanao
Davao
11. The Phillippines.
289 areas of communal lighting for markets

and fishermens wharves: These facilitate safer
night vessel navigation and reducing night fishing
wharf accidents.
260 Barangay potable water supply systems:
These will lead to substantial reductions in
water-borne disease. Women in particular will
benefit from time savings in water collection and
caring for ill family members.
266 schools, six municipal halls, and 201
Barangay halls: Access to school facilities
at night for adult education or entertainment will
further improve quality of life.
12 left: Lighting
for improved
education facilities.
Provision of systems: Solar systems were supplied and

installed in the specified areas, though the logistics were
challenging, due to the difficulty of getting construction materials,
equipment, and systems into the communities. As this was a
tied-aid project funded by the Australian government, BP
Australia was obliged to source a minimum of 87% of
components from Australia. However, some construction
items, videos, and televisions were sourced locally/nationally11.
Training and capacity building: In each Barangay, two
people were elected to form the Barangay Technical Team
(BTT) and trained on simple system maintenance: cleaning
the modules, topping up the battery electrolyte, etc. Municipal
engineers and operatives were trained on the more technical
repairs and maintenance of system components. Spare parts
were distributed to the municipality to give the communities
easy access to replacement parts. High-level training was
provided for the universities, with staff and students being able
fully to dismantle, repair, and reassemble the components.
After the commissioning and handover of each system, BP
Solar carried out three separate follow-up visits with the groups
that had been formed.
Over 2000 people have been trained (including training of

trainers) on both project governance (how to organize
meetings, accounting and reporting; how to collect fees/local
revenues for sustaining services/maintenance, etc) as well as
on the technical aspects (maintenance, including local repair
and replacement of parts). Experience has clearly shown that
without such training, systems fall into disuse and disrepair
and communities are then left disillusioned.
13 below:
Communal lighting
to wharves.
Case study 5:
Communal sanitation, Myanmar
Project background
Access to clean water and adequate sanitation is essential
to the development of a sustainable community. Access for
the poor is a key factor in improving health and economic
productivity, and is therefore an essential component in any
effort to alleviate poverty.
In 2001, 16% of the world was without water supply and 40%
without access to adequate sanitation. Water-borne diseases
are responsible for more than 80% of all sicknesses in the
world, resulting in the deaths of over 4M children annually.
Diarrhoeal diseases are the third most significant child killer
(after respiratory infections and malaria), accounting for 15%
of the under-five years mortality rate, especially in rural areas.
Substantial decreases in the frequency of contagious disease
from inadequate sanitation and water supply would result
in substantial savings in healthcare costs. These could be
invested in national development, thus further increasing
national productivity.
In 1997, Myanmar was crippled by diarrhoeal disease, killing
30 000 children. Sanitation coverage stood at only 39% of the
population, and personal and domestic hygiene was poor13.
Myanmar ranked 190th out of 191 in the WHO Report 200014.
Project details
Over the past decade, significant attempts have been made
to improve sanitation in Myanmar. In the mid-1990s the
government, in a bid to promote community participation,
adopted a strategy in which families were provided with free
latrine pans. However this proved too costly, failed to achieve
community support, and was phased out. The government
then recognized that it could no longer be the sole provider of
sanitation services, and that the key role of government should
be to facilitate and stimulate local communities to recognize
and meet their own needs. This was to be carried out through
organizing and financing community mobilization and household motivation, and running an awareness campaign, known
as the National Sanitation Week (NSW). For the past five years,
UNICEF has supported this programme. National Sanitation
Week activities are carried out under the guidance of the
National Health Committee and with the active involvement
of the entire nation.
The Week has three key objectives:
to educate the general public in the values
of sanitation
to assist people in actual implementation
of sanitary work
to reduce the spread of communicable disease.
Community mobilization: As individual users are the ultimate
decision makers who embrace or reject new technology,
community involvement is widely accepted as a key ingredient
in the success of any aid project. As noted in previous case
studies, participation of local people in all stages of a project,
from design and construction to operation and maintenance, is
paramount in fostering a sense of ownership and ensuring that
facilities are properly used and maintained.
Use of sanitation cannot be imposed - it has to be created by
demand. In the past, supply-driven approaches to sanitation
provision have led to widespread disuse of latrines, leaving
latrine slabs as a health hazard and a negative influence on
any future sanitation attempts. Demand for use of sanitation
systems is thus not is easily generated, as rural populations do
not often perceive the health benefits arising from sanitation. It
is therefore fundamentally important that sanitation be effectively
promoted, as part of health education, to create demand.
Promotional campaign: This treated sanitation as a product
to be marketed to individual households, with all available and
affordable media and communication channels being used to
promote sanitation messages. The approach was broad-based,
emphasizing not only potential health improvements but
also benefits such as privacy and convenience, elevation of
household status, respect and dignity (especially for women),
environmental awareness, and the potential economic benefits
of generating resources out of waste.
Social mobilization was intensified through community meetings
organized at various levels, supported by visiting health teams
and input non-governmental organizations, schoolteachers,
and local leaders. A range of information and communication
materials, such as posters, pamphlets, and models of affordable
latrines, was produced. National television and media also
played a significant communication role. UNICEF contributed
about US$100 000 per year to these promotional activities15.
8
The communication and social mobilization package

has been improved each year to give greater attention to
upgrading unsanitary latrines and integrating washing of
hands into the sanitation cycle. Interested households
form a village sanitation committee, which plays a
fundamental role in co-ordinating activities.
Implementation: Construction activities commenced
only after the awareness campaign had been launched
and hygiene and sanitation education provided. Thus
construction took place only in motivated communities
and with the co-operation of the end users; indeed,
it was promoted as a do-it-yourself construction
programme. Families were responsible for installing
and financing their own sanitation facilities, with
subsidies only made available for schools and for
the communities that could not afford self-finance.
Households were in fact subsidized during the 1997
floods but even then an element of self-help was
expected. A low-cost (Kyat 900 or US$2.75) locallymanufactured plastic pan and pipe set was made
available to each household that had excavated (and
lined where necessary) a pit and then built as good a
superstructure as it could afford16. A wide range of low
cost and appropriate latrine designs was developed,
suited to individual family preference and affordability.
Every effort was made to promote capacity and income
generation activities among community members, to
allow them to participate by contributing labour, cash,
and/or materials towards building the project. The private
sector responded, to meet the rising demand for parts.
Local production of plastic latrine pans has increased by
a factor of six in the last five years, from about 40 000 in
1995 to more than 250 000 annually16. To reduce costs,
locally available materials were widely used and some
village leaders organized the bulk purchase of bamboo.
Progress report
In 1997, before the national campaign was launched,
the sanitation coverage throughout rural areas stood at
39%13. In 2001, sanitation coverage stands at 57%17.
Hand-washing with soap and water after latrine use has
also increased, from 18% in 1996 to 43% in 200118.
Too frequently, the success of sanitation programs is
measured by the total number of latrines constructed,
with little attention to actual operation, maintenance, or
usage. Long-term success of these systems depends on
the availability of supplies, parts, equipment, and the
availability of trained people needed to monitor, maintain
and repair the systems, as well as continued community
demand for their use.
As sanitation coverage in Myanmar grows, campaigning
continues. Programmed follow-up to the National
Sanitation Week is being provided in selected townships
through more intensive social mobilization targeted
at hard to reach households and communities, and
activity-based sanitation and hygiene education in
selected schools. This approach recognizes that schools
create an excellent participatory and enabling learning
environment in which to promote sanitary habits and
hygienic practices. There continues to be widespread
general training of decision-makers, planners, and trainers
in social mobilization programmes for hygiene. The 2002
National Sanitation Week accordingly gave special
emphasis to activities to be carried out in 73 of a total
of 324 townships, where 50% or more of the households
still do not have access to a sanitary latrine18.
Myanmars success is a model to other countries and
has been internationally recognized by South East Asian
Region Countries. Government delegates from Indonesia,
Pakistan, Bhutan, China, Vietnam and Laos have come
to Myanmar to observe their activities and learn from
their experiences. Nepal launched its own National
Sanitation Action Week: March 2001.
Zayu
INDIA
CHINA
Myitkyina
Banmauk
THAILAND
Taunggyi
Rangoon
Moulmein
0 100 200 km
14. Myanmar.
15. Rural water supply.
Conclusions
Each case study illustrates the application of relatively low
technology engineering in small-scale investments which
nonetheless enjoy high levels of community engagement.
The success of these programmes is due in significant
measure to this level of community commitment and to the
extent of understanding of social, economic and political
influences in that local community.
As Sir Ove Arup said, Engineering problems are under-defined,
there are many solutions, good, bad and indifferent. The art is
to arrive at a good solution. This is a creative activity, involving
imagination, intuition and deliberate choice.
In these case studies and in many similar scenarios, the
solutions developed have not been primarily engineering
solutions, although engineering plays a key part in the
outcome adopted. It is not known which profession took
the lead in which scenario, but it is clear that engineers with
appropriate sensitivity could have led in all of them.
The case studies therefore illustrate the application of sound
engineering solutions to poverty alleviation:
Sustainable engineering was achieved, as the
solutions adopted will have a positive or neutral
impact on natural resources.
Life-cycle engineering took into account the
operational and maintenance cost of the engineering
solutions. The completed projects have effective and
affordable operational and maintenance regimes.
Empowered engineering took into account the
capabilities of the local community, in particular its
engineering and technical professions. The solutions
developed involve local professional and technical
staff and will establish an on-going engineering and
operational resource.
Appropriate engineering considered various
options that met the engineering project needs
and adopted labour-intensive construction where
relevant, so as to create community involvement
and knowledge of the projects operations and to
stimulate community income.
The challenge for the engineering profession is to revisit our
Brunel roots and develop a suite of solutions to the issues
raised in this paper. These should include solutions not only
to the alleviation of poverty when it occurs but also to the
development of sustainable urban infrastructure; solutions
that recognize rather than resist the inevitability of migration
to urban centres and then make provision for these rapidly
growing populations.
Engineers can work effectively with other professions and
community leaders to develop sustainable solutions to poverty.
And engineers can take the lead in developing sustainable
concepts for the urban areas of the future, concepts in which:
Access to and opportunities for
employment are enhanced.
Housing, sanitation, and water supply
are provided at affordable prices.
Access to and opportunities for
education are enhanced.
Affordable transport facilities are available.
This is our Brunel challenge.
It is worthy of our commitment.
Authors acknowledgement:
Nicole Hahn undertook the research for this paper.
Her enthusiasm and personal commitment for this topic is
unbounded and exemplifies the commitment of many young
engineering professionals to make a difference.
I am grateful for her contribution and support.
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Bangladesh. [online at http://www.mandamus.co.uk/bshf/
cgi-bin/wha/show.a.wha.cgi?whaNo=31].
(10) GRAMEEN BANK. Microfinance. [online at
http://www.grameen-info.org]. Accessed 11 May 2001.
(11) BUSINESS ACTION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT and
UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME. Virtual exhibit
The Philippines Municipal Solar Infrastructure Project. [online at
http://www.virtualexhibit.net/new/home.php].
(12) WORLD BUSINESS COUNCIL FOF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT (WBCSD). Sustain online - A ray of sunshine
in the Philippines. [online at
http://www.sustainonline.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/265/
A_ray_of_sunshine_in_the_Philippines.html].
(13) YANGO, R. Fourth National Sanitation Week 2001
(Myanmar Information Centre) [online at
http://www.myanmar-information.net/infosheet/2001/010225.htm].
Accessed 22 May 2001.
(14) WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION.
Global water supply and sanitation assessment 2000 report.
WHO Publication Center, USA, 2000.
(15) SANDA, D, and OYA, K. Community-based water supply and
sanitation improvement. Proceedings of the 24th Water Engineering
and Development Centre Conference, Islamabad, Pakistan, 1998.
WEDC,1998.
(16) UNICEF MYANMAR. Rehabilitation of water supply and
sanitation facilities affected by the flood. [0nline at
http://www.unicef.org/myanmar/pages/WES_Echo.pdf].
(17) WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION. World health report 2002.
WHO Publication Center, USA, 2002.
(18) BAJRACHARY, D. Myanmar experiences in sanitation and
hygiene promotion: Lessons learned and future directions.
UNICEF, Yangoon, 2002.
Other references
(19) BOTHA, D and HOLLWAY, A. Addressing poverty alleviation
through engineering development. South Africa
(20) CLEARY, P. Africas Holocaust - How the West is ignoring the
disaster. The Weekend Australian Financial Review,
14-15 September, 2002.
(21) DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (DFID).
Making connections Infrastructure for poverty reduction.
Copyright UK Ltd, UK, 2002.
(22) UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSION FOR REFUGEES.
What is poverty?. [online at
http://www.unhchr.ch/development/poverty-02.html].
(23) WHYTE, A. Guidelines for planning community participation
activities in water supply and sanitation projects. WHO Publication
Centre, Geneva, 1986.
(24) WORLD BANK. DM past projects: South Africa Journal. [online
at http://www.developmentmarketplace.org/safrica3journal.html].
(25) WORLD BANK. South Africa: the roundabout outdoor
playpump. [online at
http://www.worldbank.org/af/findings/english/find218.pdf].
Accessed 20 November 2002.
(26) WORLD BUSINESS COUNCIL FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT. Developing Countries and Technology
Co-operation 10 business cases. WBCSD, Austria, 2002.
Image Credits
2, 3: Arup
1, 4, 6: Roundabout Outdoor
5, 7, 11, 14: Daniel Blackhall
8-10: Building and Housing
Social Foundation
12, 13, 15: BP Solar
The difference
between what
we do and what
we could do
would suffice to
solve most of
the worlds
problems:
Mahatma Ghandi
No other issue
suffers such
disparity
between human
importance and
its political
priority:
Kofi Annan
(on water and
sanitation)
Source: Engineering As a Social Enterprise, Hedy E. Sladovich, National Academy

Press, 1991, ISBN13:9780309083621
SOCIAL IMPACTS OF ENGINEERING
Many engineering developments of this century with immense impacts on our lives have not been
accompanied by realistic engineering views of those impacts on the social fabric or the environment.
Would the societal consequences have been different if engineers had been more involved in a
systematic study of engineering's complex role in society, had a working dialogue with social scientists,
and had better communication with the public? For instance, could we have anticipated that the
automobile would turn out to be a severe source of pollution as well as a powerful instrument of urban
change, that radios in every household would catalyze the political emancipation of women, or that
television would influence our values and contribute to functional illiteracy? Could we have anticipated
that a broader base of affluence brought about by technology in the nations of the West would be
accompanied by the rise of anomie and a drug culture among not only the poor and the
disenfranchised, but also the more affluent who have in many material ways benefited the most from
technology? Could we have anticipated that abundant energy for industries and homes or the
invention of plastic materials would have such serious environmental consequences, and that cleaner
technologies, such as computers, would damage the earth 's ozone layer because of the use of
chlorofluorocarbons in the fabrication of microchips?
The list of impacts and side effects of technology is long and growing and has contributed to society's
ambivalence about technology. While it would be wrong to blame the engineer for the apparent lack of
interest by large portions of society in understanding the technological process with its constraints and
possibilities, engineers can do much to reduce society's ambivalence if they could overcome their own
parochialism. For example, a gap that exists sometime between the perceptions of the engineers and
those of the rest of society can be seen in educational technology. Engineers have tended to focus on
the development of new technologies rather than the social setting municipal bureaucracies, school
systems, and homesin which that technology is to become acceptable if it is to be successful (NAE,
1974).
Part of the difficulty engineers encounter in dealing with social issues has to do with too many
definitions of engineering and the lack of agreed upon and shared tenets. The famous 1828 definition
of engineering by the British Institution of Engineeringas the modification of nature (Encyclopaedia
Britannica, 1910)was on the right track but is both too general (as other human activities also
modify nature) and too specific in its subsequent detailing of those activities. The kind of definitions
that later and to this day seem to have become accepted by many engineers center on the application
of science to human welfare. Definitions of this kind fall wide of the mark by remaining too vague
about the definition of human welfare and the role of engineering in it. They overlook the essential
nature of engineering as a human activity to modify nature (a clear distinction between science and
engineering). Furthermore, such definitions are not accompanied by a widely shared set of principles
that parallel in power and simplicity the verifiable truth of the scientist, although there have been
recent efforts to explore key concepts common to all engineering disciplines (see, among others,
Bugliarello, 1989b).
An important point in looking at the social function of engineering is how society makes engineering
possible. A complex feedback situation emerges. The artifacts extend the power and reach of society
and the individual. Society, in turn, through its organizations and demands, makes possible the
development of complex artifacts and stimulates their constant technical evolution and diffusion.
Today, to talk about the impact of engineering on society is meaningless without also talking about
the impact of society on engineering, and how it shapes the role of engineering. The complexity of the
interactions between society and engineering is at the root of unrealistic expectations about
engineering, as social entities are often inadequately organized to develop and use engineering
effectively. It is also at the root of the frustration of engineers unable to bring their capabilities to bear
on the solution of social problems or the effective organization of the engineering enterprise.
SOCIOLOGY AND EDUCATION OF ENGINEERS

To understand how engineering responds to the needs of society, we must examine its social structure
and its function. Most people who study engineering in the United States have higher mathematics
skills than verbal and social ones. This limits their involvement in politics and their success in
communicating with the rest of society. Society, in turn, often views the engineer as a narrow,
conservative, numbers-driven person, insensitive to subtle societal issues.
The systematic study of sociotechnical problems is rarely included in the engineering curricula as an
important sphere of engineering activity. The curriculum focuses on man-made artifacts to the
exclusion, except for specialized cases, of biological systems and organisms. This narrow focus has
kept engineering away from not only a rich source of inspiration for specific technical feats and lessons
offered by systems of great subtlety and complexity, but also a deeper understanding of
environmental change.
Most high school students today do not view an engineering education as a path to success and
prestige worthy of the sacrifices of a rigorous curriculum. It is rarely chosen by the offspring of the
well-to-do and the socially prominent. Even bright young engineering students, upon graduation,
switch to careers in business management, law, and medicine. On the other hand, engineering
continues to be a powerful instrument for social mobility and advancement for immigrants and the
poor. This situation accentuates the perceived social gap between engineers and other professions in
society. It is further reinforced by massive layoffs in defense industries and practices in the
construction business that treat engineers more as commodities than as professionals (Jacobs, 1989).
In different societies engineering provides most of the same artifacts: shelter, energy and
communications, manufacturing, water supply, extraction and use of resources, and disposal of waste.
There are societies where engineers carry out broader functions by virtue of the position they hold. In
several European and developing countries, they head state organizations and major industry
conglomerates, participate in government, and enjoy high social prestige. By contrast, engineers in
the United States are absent from major positions of societal leadership, and only a handful serve in
Congress, as governors, or at the cabinet level.
In the United States the number of engineers per capita is roughly half that of Japan. Coupled with
layoffs, this is an indicator of how seriously underengineered the United States is. The situation
needs to be addressed not only in terms of supply and demand of engineers, but also in terms of the
basic structure and direction of the country.
Social Responsibility
The burning question for engineering in extending the outreach of society is: What is responsible
outreach? The answer is perhaps best given in evolutionary terms. Man-made artifacts, albeit
extensions of our body, have not evolved through the gradual process that has shaped man and other
biological species. Thus, we constantly face the question of whether the technology we develop
enhances the long-range survival of our species. Because assessing how well engineering carries out
its social function lacks the ultimate test of the crucible of evolution, we need to define what we mean
by the social responsibility of engineering. In the following paragraphs, I offer five guiding principles,
some of which are already deeply embedded in the conscience of engineers.
Uphold the dignity of man. The dignity of man is an imponderable in terms of a clear evolutionary
meaning. However, it is a fundamental value of our society that never should be violated by an
engineering design. This happens when the design or operation of a technological product (a building,
a machine, a procedure) fails to recognize the importance of individuality, privacy, diversity, and
aesthetics and is based on a stereotyped view of a human being.
Avoid dangerous or uncontrolled side effects and by-products. The challenge to engineering is how to
fulfill its social purpose in ways that either control side effects and by-products or make them more
easily foreseeable. This demands a rigorous preliminary examination of how to solve a problem and
achieve a given social purpose. The problem is complicated beyond measure by the multitude of
pressures leading to the development of a design or a technology be they political, economic,
popular, or intrinsically technological. These pressures can lead to unwise outcomes beyond the ability
of engineering to solve, for example, the deferral of municipal maintenance due to constrained
budgets or the abandonment of nuclear power plants in some Western countries.
Make provisions for consequence when technology fails. The importance of making provisions for the
consequences of failure is self-evident, especially in those systems that are complex, pervasive, and
place us at great risk if they fail. A simple example is the failure of an air-conditioning system in a
closed ventilation system, as occurred tragically in 1990 at Mecca, with the loss of over a thousand
lives (Newsweek, 1990). A more complex example is the space shuttle. Because it is the sole vehicle
for a multitude of space tasks, any of its failures sets back our position in space.
Avoid buttressing social systems that perform poorly and should be replaced. This runs much against
the grain of most engineers. Thanks to a multitude of technological and engineering fixes (Weinberg,
1966), our society often avoids rethinking fundamental social issues and organization. However,
short-run technological fixes can put us at much greater risk in the long term. In the case of energy,
for instance, technological or commercial fixes cannot mask the need to rethink globally the impact of
consumerism and the interrelationship of energy, environment, and economic development.
Participate in formulating the why of technology. At present the engineering profession is poorly
equipped to do so both in this country and elsewhere. Few engineers, for instance, have been involved
in developing a philosophy of technologyas distinct from that of scienceand in teaching the subject
in engineering schools. 3 Yet, John Dewey saw the problems of philosophy and those of technology as
inseparable at the beginning of this century (Hickman, 1990). This separation of engineering and
philosophy affects our entire society. Engineers, in shaping our future, need to be guided by a clearer
sense of the meaning and evolutionary role of technology. The great social challenges we face require
a rethinking of the human-artifact-society interrelationship and the options it offers us to carry out a
growing number of social functions using quasi-intelligent artifacts to instruct, manufacture, inspect,
control, and so on. We also need to think through the implications of a shift from energy to
information (for example, for issues relating to urban planning and the environment), and the
possibilities of hyperintelligencethe enhancement of the social intelligence of our species through
the interaction of humans and global computer networks.
Social Purpose
How well does engineering fulfill it social purpose? This apparently simple question presents several
problems.
Which social group are engineers trying to satisfy? Is it a family, a tribe, a company, a municipality, a
nation, or a supernational global entity? It is clear that different groups have different technological
needs and expectations, and that if engineering satisfies some groups, it may not satisfy others.
What about the needs of the engineers themselves as a social group? A technology that does not
respond to the interests of other social groups but serves exclusively its own purposes evinces
concerns about autonomous or runaway technology (Winner, 1977). While it is possible to envision
such an occurrence for a technological system, the likelihood of runaway engineering is generally
remote, if only because engineers, as a cog in the technological system, are unable to be autonomous
and run away with their designs (Florman, 1987; Veblen, 1921) and are most often subservient to
contingent pressures of a social group.
The term satisfaction lacks a rigorous definition necessary to describe an engineering response to a
particular social need. The dimensions of a social group are a particularly important factor. In the case
of small social groups resources are generally too limited to develop anything but the simplest
technologies. Even the wealthiest of families today could not, even if they wished it, mount a manned
exploration of space. Hence, small social groups, as well as large, unorganized populations, can only
use today's technologies, not create them. With this comes the associated danger of alienation from
technology or of resentment spurred by limited participation and ignorance. At a national and global
scale, there is a similar lack of powerful supranational organizations to mobilize and control
technological resources. Hence, the danger of global environmental damage continues. Today,
intermediate-size organizationscorporations and governmental bodiesare most effective in
mobilizing technology in response to their needs.
An important determinant of how well engineering satisfies its social purpose is the breadth of
engineering. Engineering today continues overwhelmingly to focus on inanimate artifacts or machines,
just as engineering school curricula worldwide continue to bypass sociotechnological integrations like
the biomachinethe ever-growing interaction and interpenetration of biological and machine systems.
4
This lopsided orientation grew out of obvious historical origins that have had major consequences for
society. The factory environment so single-mindedly rationalized by the engineer F. W. Taylor
overlooked the effective integration of the workerthe biological unitand the machine in the
production process. This is so almost everywhere in the world, with the notable exception of Japan,
where a different social ethos has produced a more effective integration. At the opposite end of the
spectrum is the anomie of the worker in Eastern Europe.
Social Needs
The various needs of social groups that engineering and technology may be expected to satisfy are
educational (mentioned earlier), economic, environmented, health, public service, spiritual, and
defense. It is important to underscore that, in seeking to satisfy these needs, engineering cannot be
shackled to short-range and narrow technical applications. It must be allowed to explore new
extensions of our biological capability.
The recurrent conflict between advocates of independent and targeted research is an example and an
inevitable result of the tension between short-and long-range needs. If pushed to the extreme,
however, such conflicts may cross the boundary between what is socially useful and what is out of
control.
At the intellectual core of the sluggish and somewhat myopic response of U.S. engineering to
environmental needs is the lack of basic environmental principles embedded by education in the
consciousness of all engineers. A key principle, for instance, is recognition that any artifact any
alteration of nature inevitably has an effect on the environment, and particularly on the humans and
other living organisms in it. Another key principle is the requirement, as an essential component of the
design process, to address those impacts to the satisfaction not only of the engineer and the
engineer's employer but also of the general public.
The health care system has absorbed an ever-greater portion of our gross national product, regardless
of the state of our economic prosperity. At the same time, it has priced itself outside the financial
reach of almost 40 million Americans. Technology has abetted the situation, not only by favoring the
higher-cost, high-repair segment of the system, but also by not addressing the structure of the
system (Bugliarello, 1984b). Similarly the problem of hunger remains endemic in many parts of the
globe despite advances in agricultural technology. Even when production is high, in many countries
grain supplies rot for lack of effective storage and distribution systems.
The pattern of technology repeats itself in the way we address problems of infrastructure, education,
and poverty, or the problems of the metropolitan areas that now are home to more than 75 percent of
our population. For instance, the problem of housing for the poor and homeless in many developing
countries as well as in the United States persists despite our knowledge of building techniques and
materials. We need to organize a system of production, distribution, self-help, and education to put
that knowledge to work for the dispossessed.
Technology and science working in concert have demythologized many social and cultural beliefs and
left a spiritual no-man's-land. Paradoxically, the very success envisioned by eighteenth-century
encyclopedists man's conquest of naturehas confused our society, sweeping away the certainties
of the past and leaving society in need of guidance and new orthodoxies. Cars, airplanes,
telecommunications, fast foods, and contraceptives have brought about a drastic restructuring of
social customs and processes and a jadedness about technological advances. It may be argued that
engineers need to question their cultural responsibility to society as they contribute to its change. This
effort must begin in the universities. The task is particularly daunting for the United States, with its
thin line of 20,000 engineering teachers of growing disparity in cultural backgrounds.
The social role of engineering cannot overlook military engineering the activity from which modern
engineering is derivedas one of the most controversial facets of that role (Mitcham and Siekevitz,
1989). Although military engineering is not viewed by everyone as fulfilling a useful social role, it is
crucial for the survival and success of a society. The importance of that social role to the long-term
future of a society can be a matter of judgment and hence open to controversy in the context of a
hoped for reduction of military confrontations.
The specialist's role of the engineer seems to prevail todaya retreat from the situation in the last
century and earlier in this century, when engineers like Herbert Spencer or Vilfredo Pareto took
broader views of society and developed new economic, social or political ideas. The dominance,
particularly in our country, of the purely technical over the broader role of engineering can be
attributed primarily to the sociological characteristics of engineering and to the inadequacy of
engineering education in preparing students for broad social leadership. This is so in spite of the fact
that the earliest U.S. technological universities hark back conceptually to the model of the French
Ecole Polytechnique, with its purpose of producing technically prepared leaders. Indeed, it may be
argued that the rigorous professionalization of engineering has been achieved in our country at the
expense of preparation for broader leadership roles.
To reiterate, any attempt to rate the current performance of engineering in the satisfaction of social
needs must take into account at least three factors:
(1) the fundamental difficulty that engineers encounter in addressing major social problems given a
lack of an adequate sociotechnological preparation, (2) the propensity of engineers to find
technological fixes for existing social systems rather than to develop and use technological innovations
to accomplish needed social change, and (3) the ensuing limited or simplistic views of the social role
of engineering.
LESSONS LEARNED
A current assessment of the purposes, roles, and aspirations for engineering and society suggest some
pathways to more effective partnerships:
1. When social systems and technology have been able to complement each other,
engineering has been immensely effective in improving human life by augmenting
agricultural production, building infrastructure, producing jobs, improving public
health, etc.
2. Engineering can best carry out its social purpose when it is involved in the formulation
of the response to a social need, rather than just being called to provide a quick
technological fix. Often, a technological fix is in the long run counterproductive. The
Sahel economy was devastated, at least in part, when local populations were
persuaded to abandon animal power for motor-driven vehicles and pumpsonly to
find them immobilized when the OPEC cartel made fuel inaccessibly expensive.
3. Society and technologyand hence engineeringfail, often spectacularly, when the
social system is hostile or unwilling to modify itself to allow technology to operate
under the best conditions for producing beneficial results. Nowhere is this more
obvious than in societal failures to alleviate problems of hunger, illiteracy, and health
care.
4. Engineering can respond to a societal purpose in the measure that such a purpose is
well articulated. However, even if well articulated, the social purpose may be
detrimental to society and to humankind in general. Engineering, as a force of society,
can and should intervene in correcting a social purpose it perceives as detrimental.
Historically, this has been very difficult to do. Engineering has tended to respond to
the social system in which it is embedded: in market economies it has made unbridled
consumerism possible, and in authoritarian regimes it has provided the technological
means that reinforce the regimes' power.
5. Whether, even within the framework of existing socioeconomic systems, engineering
has served well the social purpose of those systems is a complex question.
Engineering, to the extent it has influence on the process, may have failed in this
more limited context if a market economy produces consumer goods that do not stand
up well to competition or pollute dangerously, or if a nonmarket economy produces
artifacts that are shoddy, such as much of public housing in Eastern Europe.
WHAT IS PAST IS PROLOGUE:

THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
In the past 25 years, several major trends have emerged that magnify the social impact of
engineering and the challenge to engineering to address pivotal social issues. These trends are too
well known and documented to be further underscored here: the sharpening of engineering prowess in
the creation of artifacts; the broadening of the social needs that engineering is called to address;
geopolitical and economic shifts that are placing new demands on engineering; the coming to the fore
of a series of issues of wide societal impact such as the environmentthat stem at least in part from
engineering and technology themselves and demand urgent attention.
To focus more specifically on the situation today in the United States, it is clear that engineering
continues to perform effectively the task of generating new technological ideas. However, with broad
exceptions such as aerospace, the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, biotechnology,
computers, and telecommunicationsU.S. technology has not been very successful in maintaining a
strong position against capable and aggressive commercial competitors from abroad (NAE, 1988). This
failing brings substantial job losses in manufacturing and raises the fear that the United States,
despite its prowess in military technology, is becoming a second-class technological power. It also
weakens the nation's ability to respond to the cries for help and to the hopes of the poor and the
disenfranchised throughout the world.
Engineering has contributed to this situation by its failure to emphasize manufacturing and production
in formal engineering education and in the system of professional recognition. That emphasis is being
developed, laboriously, only now. U.S. engineering has been slow also in responding to the immense
challenges of globalization, and of the environment. The globally spreading networks of designers,
factories, research laboratories, data banks, and sales and marketing operations require a new
conception of how the engineering enterprise is organized and of how engineers are trained and
certified. For instance, the likely development of international teams working around the clock on the
same design from different locations will lead to the creation of new engineering specialties.
Globalization also means extreme competitiveness, with greater potential instabilities for engineering
enterprises and the employment of engineers. But the greatest challenge that globalization presents
engineers and engineering education is how to increase throughout the world the rate of technological,
economic, and social progress through the creation of new and more adaptable technologies and
better sociotechnical integration.
Furthermore, U.S. engineering has not participated to any major extent in the development of
strategies for the reform of the health care and education systems as two key service activities that
together absorb well over 15 percent of our GNP. In the case of health care, engineering has produced
a host of
innovative technologies, which, applied within the framework of an obsolete system, have added
greatly to cost, without correspondingly improving national mortality statistics and access to health
care (Bugliarello, 1984b). Similarly, although engineering provides education with powerful tools, it
has little impact on an education system that remains largely an artisan enterprise, incapable of
reorganizing itself to take full advantage of the great potential offered by systems, information, and
telecommunications technology.
Engineering also has been absent from the attack on some of the most vexing problems of urban
areas. Poverty, drugs, and alienation are all interconnected sociotechnological problems of our cities,
with their deteriorating infrastructure and the loss of easily accessible jobs in manufacturing.
A further example of engineering acquiescence in the subordination of technological possibilities and
common sense is the anarchical situation in the United States concerning telecommunications. The
current absence of a plan for the transition to fiber optics may deny the United States, to the
advantage of its competitors abroad, the possibility of developing integrated new technologies for the
largest telecommunications system and the biggest computer market in the world (Keyworth and Abell,
1990).
Contributing to the difficulty of U.S. engineering in addressing major social problems is the limited
participation of women and African-American, Hispanic, and Native American minorities in the
engineering enterprise. These groups are more squarely in the middle of most of those problems, and
bring to engineering an enhanced sensitivity and urgency, as well as broader societal support. Much is
being done today to attract women and underrepresented minorities to engineering, but it must be
remembered that, as late as the early 1970s, there was a fairly strong opposition among engineers
themselves to the recruitment of women (Bugliarello et al., 1972). The recruitment of minorities at
that time was also limited, as it continues to be today despite major efforts over the intervening 20
years.
It has been said that this is the first generation in the history of the United States that has lost the
hope of being better off than the previous generation. That view is too sweeping. Consider, for
example, the immigrants and the great progress made on improving the economic conditions of
minorities. However, to the extent that there is a perception of loss, much of it is undoubtedly
associated with the weakening of our industrial competitiveness and with the sense that American
technology, once believed to be the foundation of our success as a society, is not necessarily the
harbinger of an ever-better future for Americans. Hence, regaining industrial competitiveness in
manufacturing and addressing crucial social problems are challenges that American engineering must
address if it is to help instill in our society a greater sense of optimism about the future.

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Engineering in a social context

Engineering in a social context

Engineering in a social context

Engineering in a social context

Cultural presence of Engineering

Cultural presence of Engineering

Cultural presence of Engineering

Cultural presence of Engineering

Cultural presence of Engineering

Cultural and Social Dimension

Technology shaping social changes

Why go carbon neutral?

Why go carbon neutral?

Why go carbon neutral?

Why go carbon neutral?

A Response to Climate Change

Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city:

Needs for Sustainable

Sustainable Urban Development is The Industry

Sustainable Urban Development is The Industry

Build 900 to 1,100 gigawatts of power

Agreement between Premier Wen Jiabao and Senior

Determination of both countries to respond to the

Key focus is to be replicable, scalable, practicable

Tianjin chosen as location

Total Land Area:

Resid GFA: 4.4 mil sqm

Resid GFA:2.9 mil sqm

Government Leadership and Commitment

Joint Working Committee on Eco-City

Lead Ministries assigned to oversee Eco-City project

Strong Involvement of Local Governments and other Government agencies

Tianjin Municipal Government

Commercially Driven Approach

Tianjin TEDA Investment 35%

Registered Capital: RMB 4bn

Bohai Rim Region Citius, Altius, Fortius

Bohai Rim Region Citius, Altius, Fortius

Pearl River Delta

Land area (km2)

Region GDP as a total

Tianjin & TBNA the Heart of Bohai

Total investment in fixed assets in TBNA increasing since 2005

Choosing the Right Site to Pioneer

Economic Center of the Bohai

Choosing the Right Site to Pioneer Eco-City Development

Binhai New Area

Train travel in China redefined

Choosing the Right Site to Pioneer

Startup Area (SUA)

Development Roles of SSTEC

3. 100% potable tap water

21. >50nos researches/

10. <120L/d per

18. >20% public

2. Meet Grade IV standard

6. Zero loss of natural

1. Ambient air quality to

11. Domestic waste generation

Developing a place call home

Residential & Commercial Development

Eco Public Housing

First of its kind green public housing