2003-2004 Solutions of the Month
2005 Solutions of the Month

January 2006

"Our People, Our Resources: Supporting Rural Communities in Participatory Action Research on Population Dynamics and the local Environment" is a new handbook published in 2004 by the IUCN Social Policy Program. This "must read" document illustrates concepts, methods and tools for primary environmental care, and approach that seeks to empower communities to meet basic needs while protecting the environment. Emphasis is placed on a community led process of participatory action research in which local knowledge and skills and fully utilized. The main purpose is too promote the effective, integrated management of environment and population dynamics for the benefit of local people in rural communities. This handbook contains a lot of useful case studies.

February 2006

CARE Project Design Handbook: This handbook has been compiled to describe "good practices", guidelines, and methodologies required in designing projects in developing communities.  "The essence of good design practice requires holistic, logical, systematic, participatory diagnosis of situations, getting agreement on priority problems to be addressed, identification of the underlying causes of those problems, choosing interventions that CARE and partners can implement that have maximum potential for leveraging desired change, and then designing projects to do that effectively.  Projects must also be cost-effective, minimize negative side effects, and maximize their positive impact on the quality of life of poor people – those who most deserve help." (CARE, 2002).

March 2006

Harvest Power from Biogas: Biomass is organic material, which has stored solar energy from sunlight in the form of chemical in the plants through the process called photosynthesis.   It is the cheapest, eco-friendly, renewable source of energy. Biomass Gasification converts solid biomass into more convenient gaseous form.  The gas so obtained is called producer gas, which is combustible having a calorific value of 4.5-5.0 MJ/kg, with an average composition of CO : 20 + 1%; CH4 : 3 + 1%, H2 : 20 + 1%, CO2 : 12 + 1% and rest, N2.  A gasifier system mainly comprises of a reactor, where the combustible gas is generated and the gas is made available for power generation and thermal application after the required cleaning and cooling process. Learn more from the article: Aruna Electrical Works Ltd: Harvest Power from Biomass

April 2006

1) Optibike, the leader in high performance bikes: Fastest, Longest running electric bicycle available; Safe and smooth operation at 30+ mph; 1250 miles per gallon cost equivalent; Industry leading design combining high performance, efficiency, and style. Email; infor@optibike.com.  

2) Podcasting: The New Oxford American Dictionary declared "podcasting" the 2005 word of the year, defining the term as "a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player". Podcasting's essence is about creating content (audio or video) for an audience that wants to listen when they want, where they want, and how they want. See for instance Using Agricultural Podcasting in Peru.

May 2006

1) AASHE Digest 2005: "A review of Campus Sustainability 2005" put together by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The report includes almost 250 stories about campuses leading the way to a sustainable future. It is organized into 8 chapters covering: Institutional Change; Education & Outreach; Social Responsibility; Green Building; Energy & Climate; Food & Agriculture; Transportation Waste, Water, Procurement, and Landscaping.  To subscribe to the free weekly e-newsletter, AASHE Bulletin, visit http://www.aashe.org/lists/lists.php 

2) Drinking Water For All by Prof. Jagadeesh describes a portable, low-cost, and low-maintenance solar disinfection unit to provide potable water. The solar disinfection system has been tested with bore water, well as well as waste water. In 5 hours, the unit eradicated 99.99% of bacteria contained in the water samples. The unit could provide about 6 liters of pure drinking water and larger units can be fabricated for providing safe drinking water at community level in developing countries.

June 2006

1) New book by Dan Chiras entitled: "The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy: Achieving Energy Independence through Solar, Wind, Biomass, and Hydropower", 2006. This book offers a wealth of practical advice on residential energy-efficiency and clean, reliable, and affordable renewable energy options to help homeowners and renters battle rising (and crippling) fossil fuel prices. To learn more about this book and other books by Dan Chiras, go to www.danchiras.com/books.htm.

2) Lighting Up the World article describing various WLED projects implemented in Nepal by Alex Zahnd and Dave Irvine Halliday. Article published in the "Lighting" magazine in Australia.

July 2006

1) New book edited by Karel Mulder from Delft University of Technology entitled "Sustainable Development for Engineers: A handbook and Field Guide" Greenleaf Publishers. http://www.greenleaf-publishing.com/catalogue/sdtextbook.htm. 

2) Capacity Assessment for Sustainable Sanitation Services in Lower Income Communities, paper by Garrick Louis and Ali Bouabid. This paper presents a quantitative model for assessing a community's capacity to manage and sustain municipal sanitation services in low income communities. A case study in Morocco is also presented.

August 2006

1) An indigenous and native approach to prevent pest attack in agriculture has been developed by a local farmer in Andhra Pradesh, India. Learn more about natural pesticides from Prof. A. Jagadeesh from Nellore, India. Also, learn more about Rural Industrialization and how agricultural plants could be used a raw materials for industry.

2) “The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid” by C.K. Prahalad, published by Wharton School Publishing in 2006, paperback edition. “Why can’t we mobilize the investment capacity of large firms with the knowledge and commitments of NGOs and the communities that need help? Why can’t we co-create unique solutions” (from the book).

September 2006