SUMMARY

The Village of the Future

A Cure for Urban Overpopulation

Many cities in Asia are overpopulated, which is resulted from the urbanization of
farmers from the villages. These farmers move to the city because of the poor condition in the
village, such as unsupportive technology to help them in farming. Based on the article entitled
"The Village of the Future – A cure for Urban Overpopulation" overpopulated cities can be
overcome by developing the village. A group of graduate students in Asia study a new way to
develop villages around Asia to break the chain of poverty. The students are working on ways
to develop the villages using appropriate technologies and combining conventional methods
with the latest methods.
The villages have a lot of needs that can be fulfilled by appropriate technologies. The
demand of energy can be fulfilled by using a low-cost biogas digesters. The other basic needs
for the villagers is an available source of water. The technologies that the village can use are
low-cost hand-pumps and low-cost slow sand filtration water purification. Because of the
majority of the villagers are farmers, the technology in agricultural aspect that can help them
are a manually operated soybean seeder, a low-cost solar rice dryer, a ferrocement rice storage,
and a solar refrigerator. The students also recommend them to develop low-cost materials to
build infrastructure around the village.
Developing the village can also be done by combining conventional methods with the
latest methods. Besides utilizing the biogas digesters, they can feed Tilapia fish nearby with
the residual product. The students also suggest the village to have a Village Water Committees
to operate water projects in the village so they can preserve the water supply. In farming, the
method that they can apply is planting soybean directly into rice stubble. The villagers can
develop new methods of building houses together and construct a small factory which produces
ground beans and bricks to keep the cheap cost.
Based on the facts that are written above, the overpopulated cities can be solved. By
developing appropriate technologies and the villagers' commitment to build their village, they
will have a better life so they don't have to move to the city.