Received: from SOUTH-STATION-ANNEX.MIT.EDU by po7.MIT.EDU (5.61/4.7) id AA03969; Mon, 31 Jul 95 18:29:11 EDT Received: from atlanta.american.edu by MIT.EDU with SMTP id AA23680; Mon, 31 Jul 95 18:29:05 EDT Received: from atlanta (atlanta.american.edu [147.9.1.6]) by atlanta.american.edu (8.6.12/8.6.11) with SMTP id RAA99099; Mon, 31 Jul 1995 17:13:48 -0400 Received: from AMERICAN.EDU by AMERICAN.EDU (LISTSERV-TCP/IP release 1.8b) with spool id 1540329 for DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU; Mon, 31 Jul 1995 17:13:08 -0400 Received: (from daemon@localhost) by atlanta.american.edu (8.6.12/8.6.11) id RAA83311 for devel-l@listserv.american.edu; Mon, 31 Jul 1995 17:13:07 -0400 Received: from relay3.UU.NET (relay3.UU.NET [192.48.96.8]) by atlanta.american.edu (8.6.12/8.6.11) with SMTP id RAA33644 for ; Mon, 31 Jul 1995 17:13:06 -0400 Received: from lan.vita.org by relay3.UU.NET with SMTP id QQzauu16551; Mon, 31 Jul 1995 17:13:01 -0400 Received: by lan.vita.org (5.64/PERFORMIX-0.9/08-16-92) id AA02028; Mon, 31 Jul 95 17:14:47 EDT Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Message-Id: Date: Mon, 31 Jul 1995 17:14:46 -0400 Reply-To: Rafe Ronkin Sender: Technology Transfer in International Development From: Rafe Ronkin Subject: Your VITA Newsletter for August X-Cc: Dania Granados , Vicki Tsiliopoulos , Brij Mathur To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% @@@@@ @@@@@@ @@ @@ @@@@@@ @@ @@@@@ @@@@@@ @@ @@@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@@ @@@@@@ @@ @@ @@@@@@ @@ @@ @@ @@@@@@ @@ @@@ @@ @@@@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@@@@ @@@@@@ @@ @@@@@@ @@@@@@ @@@@@ @@ %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% @@ @@ @@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@ On-Line News and Views on @@@ @@ @@ @@ @@@@@@@ @@@@@@@ @@ Technology Transfer in @@ @@@ @@ @@ @@ @@ @@@@@@@ @@ International Development %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% @@@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@ @@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@ @@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@ %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% August 1995 Volume 5, No. 8 IN THIS ISSUE NATURAL RESOURCES WATCH Madagascar: Saving People and Rainforests LITERATURE REVIEWS Concrete Improvement Reclamation of Tires ORGANIZATIONS World Resources Institute VITA PROJECTS The Ebola Crisis in Zaire ANNOUNCEMENTS Health Journal on Line Technology Innovation and Management Africa: Business Forum * * * DevelopNet News is published monthly by Volunteers in Technical Assistance (VITA) in Arlington, Virginia, USA. For additional information, please see the end of this newsletter. * * * N a t u r a l R e s o u r c e s W a t c h MADAGASCAR: SAVING PEOPLE AND RAINFORESTS Why is Madagascar, the island nation just off of East Africa, such an important focus of international conservation interest? The reason: the country is a biodiversity "hot spot," famous for its unique flora and fauna. The special animals include small, monkey-like lemurs which, like humans, are primates of ancient evolutionary lineage. All of the native mammals, including lemurs, are endemic and over 80% of the native plants occur nowhere else in the world. Madagascar also is considered to be the world's fourth poorest country, with a rapidly expanding human population, most of whose members live directly off the land and need forests, particularly for wood. Perhaps 80% of the land surface no longer has significant native woody plant cover. The deforested areas support relatively few species of plants and animals. The vast majority of the native biodiversity is concentrated in the remaining forests which now cover less than 20% of the country. The loss of habitats and their fragmentation are becoming major survival problems for the people and the wildlife. People require forest for both fuel and construction wood. But cleared forest temporarily provides relatively fertile soil for growing rice. And shortage of cultivable land is now a major problem due to forest loss. For nonhuman species, fragmentation and isolation leave habitats that are usually too small to sustain the original full complement of species. The main reasons: reduced access to resources, loss of genetic diversity, and greater susceptibility to natural disasters. Moreover, many forest trees depend on fruit-eating lemurs for dispersal of their seeds. Unfortunately, these animals are particularly threatened by habitat fragmentation. Thus, many kinds of forest trees don't grow in small habitats because there are no lemurs to disperse their seeds. People and rainforests depend on each other Madagascar's rainforests, once cleared, do not regenerate readily. Land adjacent to forest, that has been cleared, cultivated and left to fal- low, has very few forest plants germinating and establishing even after 30 years. The reasons are not well understood, but it is very clear that rainforest regeneration requires human assistance. Restoring the connections among newly isolated habitats would increase the effective size of an ecosystem. This, in turn, would increase access to resources, increase genetic diversity, and offer some protection against natural disasters. Should "corridors" be set up, through which fragments of habitat can communicate? Although this question has been intensively debated, it is now widely recognized that corridors are needed. There is evidence that corridors can be effective conduits for animals, facilitating con- tinuity between otherwise isolated populations. A recent meeting of international experts held in Madagascar recommended that connecting separated habitats be given high priority. But if con- nections are established, how can forest dwellers be persuaded to use them? One promising idea involves the use of "stepping-stones." Accord- ing to this idea, fruit-bearing trees are planted just outside the forest; the tree species are selected which are highly favored by ani- mals that disperse the seeds through their feces. The animals would then be enticed out to forage, bringing other seeds with them. The trees used as "bait" would thus prepare the environment for the germination and establishment of the transported seeds and so, eventually, restore natural forest. VITA is responsible for the management of two adjacent, protected areas: Perinet-Analamazaotra Special Reserve and Mantadia National Park [???]. These are only three kilometers apart at one point. Perinet- Analamazaotra is a small nature reserve that currently supports a rich flora and fauna. The increasing isolation of the Reserve from the sur- rounding forest will harm many of the species it aims to protect since its small size will not sustain viable populations of species with large area requirements or patchily distributed resources. The survival of the Indri-indri lemur, for which the Reserve is famous, may be threat- ened there, and would obviously benefit from restoration of a connection with the nearby Park. The Reserve is also one of Madagascar's best known and most visited sites, and a source of revenue for both the local population and the state. VITA plans to restore a connection between these two rainforest areas as soon as funding permits. The program will try to learn as much as possible about factors that block forest regeneration, while assisting the regeneration processes. It will try to find the most efficient method (in ecological terms as well as in terms of time and resources required) of restoring connec- tivity between forest fragments. Stepping-stones to survival The core of the program will comprise the experimental planting of "stepping-stone" trees, which are highly favored by lemurs and other seed carriers, are valued and utilized by people on a sustainable basis (not cutting or killing the tree), and are relatively fast-growing. Seeds, seedlings and immature trees will be planted under various con- trolled conditions. Some will be taken directly from the forest, some established in a nursery. At the same time, VITA will operate an economic development project seeking ecologically sustainable revenue from the forest as an altern- ative to such destructive practices as increasing land under rice cul- tivation just to gain revenue for the purchase of basic necessities. It also will seek ways of increasing the sustainability of the agricultural system. This will be accomplished by increasing yields in an environ- mentally nondamaging way, and by restoring previously cultivated land for recultivation more rapidly and over a longer term. (Please see DevelopNet News, October 1993, for an earlier report.) Malagasy people depend upon their natural environment for survival. But those who live directly off the land have an intimate understanding of the dynamics of their environment. They have both the incentive and the expertise to implement positive change. Local communities must there- fore be an integral part of the program. The aim is to assist local people, Malagasy scientists, and foreign participants, including formal training in some aspects. Conservation awareness is therefore an impor- tant part of the project. [Based on an unpublished paper, "Catalysing Rainforest Regeneration in Madagascar," kindly made available by its author, Louise Holloway (Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD). Tel. +44 (171) 938-9123, fax +44 (171) 938-8937, e-mail ]. L i t e r a t u r e R e v i e w s CONCRETE IMPROVEMENT Le Huu Do and Nguyen Thi Lun, 1995. "Natural Fiber Concrete Products." Journal of Ferrocement (Bangkok), volume 25, no. 1, pages 17-24. Adequate housing remains a pressing problem, especially in the develop- ing world. The use of straw and other natural fibers to strengthen brick and concrete is not a new idea, but it has become important since the early 1980s because of the urgent demands for and shortage of building materials. Natural fiber concrete (NFC) can be used not only for roofs, but also water tanks, wall partitions, and other building elements. Con- crete sheets (two or four sheets per sq m) and roofing "tiles" (13 tiles per sq m) are the most common product. Production technologies are eas- ily moved to new locations. They rely only on local availability of sand and natural fiber, and are suited to intensive labor. The initial quality of NFC was bad, but is now greatly improved, so that it is becoming popular in India, Kenya, Nepal, Sweden, Tanzania, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. Tested fibers include sisal, rice-husk ash, jute fiber, and coconut coir. In Vietnam, the price of NFC roofing is lower than other durable materials, except for burned clay tile, which is heavier than NFC and thus more costly to install. Also, sand, fiber, and labor are abundant and widely distributed, and the transpor- tation costs for cement are low. At least in Vietnam, low capital investment and quick financial return have stimulated the production of NFC. The authors (Institute of Building Materials, Hanoi) conclude: "NFC building material can be developed in countries with abundant sand and natural fiber source, [and] good cement supply. Environment and culti- vated land can be conserved and protected" during its manufacture. RECLAMATION OF TIRES Giorgio Bressi, 1995. "Recycling of Used Tyres." Asia Pacific Tech Moni- tor (New Delhi), volume 12, no. 2, pages 18-22. Many of our readers have seen piles of discarded tires and, perhaps, wondered about ways to use or dispose of them, or even reclaim the materials and energy they contain. Bressi (Istituto per l'Ambiente, Milano, Italy) has clearly stated the issues and summarized the techni- cal background. First, tires are often retreaded to extend their life. But waste tires also can be used for purposes quite different from that for which originally conceived: civil engineering (erosion control, insulation of foundations), agriculture (as a covering material), as fenders for ships and for harbor walls, road safety (buffers for slip- pery roads). Finally, waste tires can be processed to reclaim their materials. But there are no well developed markets for these materials, though the technologies for producing them are available. Reclaimed materials can be used as additives for road asphalt, construc- tion of sports fields, making tires for off-road vehicles (farm machin- ery, etc.), brake linings, road beds, sound barriers, and alternative fuels for electric power generation. In Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States, waste tires are sometimes stacked, agglomerated with a cement-based mixture, and thrown into the sea to make artificial reefs. The reefs are readily accepted by a variety of marine creatures. Who would pay for tire reclamation? Referring to the European Community, Bressi suggests that the income would come from tire manufacturers and importers, vehicle manufacturers and importers, the sale of materials or energy, and public contributions. Bressi says, "The problem of developing energy and materials reclamation from used tires is not technological but economic and legislative in nature." O r g a n i z a t i o n s World Resources Institute WRI is a private, not-for-profit organization that conducts and publishes studies on development and the environment. In this way, it provides (or helps other organizations to provide) information and practical propos- als for policy and institutional change. The Institute's work is car- ried out by a 120-member interdisciplinary staff of social and natural scientists, lawyers, and public relations specialists. Under the heading of policy research, its studies include biological resources and institutions; economics and population; climate, energy, and pollution; technology and the environment; and resources and envi- ronmental information. A Center for International Development and Envi- ronment helps institutions in developing countries with planning and policy for environmental and natural resources management. A Policy Affairs and Publications Unit gets the Institute's recommend- ations into print and develops relations with government and interna- tional agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and schools. Among its publications is the reference volume World Resources 1994-95, prepared in collaboration with the UN Environmental Programme and the UN Devel- opment Programme. The Institute's financial support comes from govern- ments, international organizations, private foundations, and individual donors. Information: Shirley K. Geer, World Resources Institute, 1709 New York Avenue, N.W., Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20006. Tel +1 (202) 662-3484, fax +1 (202) 638-0036, Telex 64414 wri wash, e-mail . WRI Publications, P.O. Box 4852, Hampden Station, Baltimore, Maryland 21211. Tel +1 (800) 822-0504, +1 (410) 516-6963; fax +1 (410) 516-6998. V I T A P r o j e c t s THE EBOLA CRISIS IN ZAIRE A VITASAT ground station used for normal administrative communications by the Baptist Missionary Society in Kinshasa was lent to the American Hospital at Vanga, Zaire, during the recent Ebola outbreak. Because of the crisis, the Government of Zaire gave almost immediate permission for the satellite ground station and waived all fees. VITASAT is a low earth orbiting satellite system VITA has designed for development and humani- tarian communications. Daniel E. Fountain, the hospital's medical director, said "By means of this e-mail link, we were able to get extensive reports of the local situation to our supporting bodies in the U.S. and also to the media. We were able to communicate our needs and get almost immediate replies. This cut down drastically on the time to get funds and supplies on their way to us. This is in contrast to the usual turnaround time for mail of four to six weeks." Fountain continued, "We are now receiving [global monitor] updates on viral epidemic diseases and control measures. This is providing us with the latest information and experience from all parts of the world. . . . Not only do our health colleagues crowd around the computer screen to watch the movements of the satellite, but so do our church leaders and also government officials. All are impressed by the technology and also by the fact that we are now linked in with a worldwide support network that promises great benefits for the future of our work." Henry Norman, VITA's president, said that "We're very happy that VITASAT is helpful in this crisis, but the most significant fact is that the capability was already in place in this remote area of Zaire when the crisis struck. The low cost and simplicity of use of VITASAT makes it possible for areas without other means of communications or even elec- tricity to have access to reliable communications at all times, and not just during a crisis." The e-mail was carried by the satellite to VITA's headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, where it connected with VITA's Internet host (VITANET) for instant transmission to the proper address in the United States. Norman added, "The VITASAT system will carry messages even faster when the new satellite is launched by the end of July 1995. VITA is instal- ling special gateways to Internet in strategic locations; licenses for South Africa and Norway have already been issued." Information: Joe Sedlak . A n n o u n c e m e n t s HEALTH JOURNAL ON LINE A few weeks ago, The British Medical Journal made history when it became the first general medical journal on the Internet. It thus became avail- able to some 30 million potential users around the world, at no cost to them, from the day before the date of publication every week. Many articles are available only as abstracts, but the full text of other articles is offered. An editorial explains, "We hope that this facility will be particularly appreciated by the many users in the developing world for whom journal subscriptions can be unaffordable. We are also including our instruc- tions to authors and comprehensive advice . . . on conducting and pre- senting research. . . . We will give priority to publishing the full text of articles that are particularly relevant to the developing world." The Journal is available on the World Wide Web. Some people think that "the Web" is the greatest invention for disseminating information since the printing press. Tony Delamothe, the deputy editor, admits that pre- dicting the future of electronic publication is risky, but he points out that the technology allows users to exchange not only text, but sound and video as well, even though these media take a long time to download and require lots of computer memory. "But there are tantalizing possi- bilities for the future -- for example, our fortnightly reviews on Parkinson's disease could have included video clips of parkinsonian gait and tremor." Even at this stage, BMJ's home page allows readers to send in their comments as they read, so that the editors can be closely informed on what readers want and need. Past issues of the Journal are available from an electronic archive. Information: The Journal's home page can be accessed through the World Wide Web at . Users will need a computer, a modem, communications software, and software for reading messages on the Web. TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AND MANAGEMENT From 24 to 26 October 1995, the Research Center of Management Sciences and Strategy, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, is hosting a sympos- ium on the management of technology and innovation. Participants will have the opportunity to share ideas and experiences in areas including the following: Development Path of Technology in Developing Countries; Managing Technical Innovation: Source, Process and Pattern; National Innovation Systems and Strategic Management of Technology; Enterprise Innovation Systems and Strategic Management; Technology Transfer and Diffusion; Cultural Differences in Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Technical Innovation and Management; Organization & Management of Engineering Research Centers; Green Technology Innovation Management; and Case Studies in Technical Innovation & Management. The symposium is cosponsored by the International Research and Devel- opment Centre of Canada and the National Science Foundation of China. Information: Qingrui Xu, School of Management, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China; tel. +86 (571) 517-2244 ext. 2740 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) or +86 (571) 799-3120 (5 p.m. to 10 p.m.) local times; fax +86 (571) 795-1358; e-mail . AFRICA: BUSINESS FORUM Techmart Africa will meet in Lusaka, Zambia, from 17 to 20 October 1995. It is a business forum that promotes direct contacts between partici- pating African countries and technology and investment suppliers from developed and developing countries. The participating countries are members of COMESA, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. Techmart will emphasize agricultural and food-processing technologies. It will feature industrial and business meetings and the development of joint venture proposals. Technologies will be displayed and sample pro- ducts shown. The forum is jointly sponsored by the U.N. Industrial Development Organization, COMESA, and the Government of Zambia. Information: F. M. Machado, U.N. Industrial Development Organization, P.O. Box 300, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. Fax +43 (1) 232-156. * * * HOW TO JOIN VITA'S ELECTRONIC FORUM VITA's free, public, online discussion forum, DEVEL-L, provides for the exchange of ideas and information on a wide range of issues and topics related to technology transfer in international development; for exam- ple, technologies, communications in development, sustainable agricul- ture, women in development, the environment, small enterprise develop- ment, meetings, and book reviews. Subscribers to DEVEL-L automatically receive this newsletter and can download documents free from a special archive by using ftp requests or e-mail messages. To join the forum, send this message: SUB DEVEL-L (your real name, without parentheses) to this address: or . You can receive the same benefits by joining the newsgroup bit.listserv.devel-l. You can subscribe to DevelopNet News without joining the discussion forum by sending the following message to the same address: SUB DNN-L (your real name, without parentheses) Please do not send these messages to VITA. * * * DevelopNet News is an electronic newsletter published monthly by Volun- teers in Technical Assistance (VITA), a private, nonprofit, interna- tional development organization located in Arlington, Virginia. The newsletter needs your stories: you are invited to send them to the edi- tor in electronic form. Your redistribution of DevelopNet News is encouraged. Kindly send us a message on the approximate size of your mailing list; it will be helpful in our planning. Back issues can be downloaded gratis from VITA's on-line information services. President: Henry R. Norman Acting Editor: Vicki Tsiliopoulos Editorial Assistant: Rafe Ronkin, VITA Volunteer VITA specializes in information dissemination and communications tech- nology. It offers services related to sustainable agriculture, food processing, renewable energy applications, water sanitation and supply, small enterprise development, and information management. It has pro- jects in 6 African countries. VITA's publications, on a variety of practical subjects, are designed to assist persons and organizations in developing countries. You can request a descriptive publications list by postal mail, phone, or fax. You also may download the list by anonymous ftp or gopher. VITA's on-line information services: 24-hr BBS: +1 (703) 527-1086 [9600, N,8,1], gopher://gopher.vita.org, anonymous ftp://ftp.vita.org, World Wide Web http://www.vita.org . Volunteers in Technical Assistance (VITA), 1600 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 500, Arlington, Virginia 22209. Tel. +1 (703) 276-1800, fax +1 (703) 243-1865, telex 440192 VITAUI, cable VITAINC, e-mail: Internet , FidoNet 1:109/165.