Technology

- Application of science to solve problems

Advantages
1. Increased food output
2. Increased industrial output
3. Business growth
4. Comfort
5. Better utilization of resources
6. Ease in travelling
7. Improved communication
8. E-learning
9. Healthcare advancement
Disadvantages
1. Pollution
2. Faster depletion of natural resources reserves
3. Wastage of time in non-productive activities/ addiction
4. Excessive dependency
5. Unemployment
6. Data security issues and cyber crimes
7. Social disconnection
Positive impacts on environment
1. Decrease in use of papers = less deforestation
2. Genetically modified highly productive plants
3. Use of green technology = less pollution
4. Decrease in emission with use of EVs
5. Carbon capture technology helps to reduce CO2 from environment
Negative impacts on environment
1. Pollution
2. Excessive use of non-renewable resources
3. Disposal of electronic waste causes land degradation
Positive impact on society
1. Modernization of agriculture
2. Faster and safer transportation
3. Improved communication
4. Improved education and learning process
Negative impact on society
1. Decrease in physical interaction
 2. Addiction to online media and games and decreased physical activities

Appropriate technology
- Technology suitable to the social and economic activities of the geographical area
- Sustainable
- Locally accepted and adapted
- Small scale technology: can be managed locally
- Examples: rain water harvesting, biogas, micro hydro, solar cell, smokeless and wood
conserving stoves
Advantages
1. Meets people’s needs and solves social problems
2. Environment friendly
3. Uses local skills and easily managed by local people
4. Local employment
5. Affordable
6. Decentralization
Role of technology to unmask old social problems
1. Unmasking of cast discrimination and superstitions by education
2. Unmasking of chronic social problems by regular advertisement and awareness
programs on media
3. Use of muscle power is decreasing day by day

LEP
Labor based
- Local employment
- Local skill development
- Local income generation and livelihood improvement
Environment friendly
- Less disturbance to environment
- Simple mitigation measures (Bio-engineering)
- Sustainability
Participatory
- Public awareness
- Ownership
- Public contribution
Advantages of participatory approach
1. Increase in productivity
2. Job satisfaction
3. Motivation
4. Improved quality
5. Reduced costs
Disadvantages of participatory approach
1. Decision making slows down
2. Security issue
Role of engineer in community management
1. Action plan
2. Hear out the complaints and act on it
3. Acting as technical expert
4. Planning, scheduling and leading meetings
5. Reaching
6. Solving conflict and interferences
7. Organizing, directing activities and reorganizing the training needs of team leader
8. Modeling behavior build trust and relationships
9. Guiding a group to use its knowledge, skills and potential to achieve its goals helping
by making the process easier. It’s about guiding rather than directing
10. Empowering the group

Major policies of government for rural infrastructure development

- Nepal agriculture perspective plan, APP (1997-2017)
- National transport policy of Nepal (2001)
- A road year road plan (2002-2022)
- Priority Investment plan (1997)
- Local self-government Act 1999 and regulations 2000

Brief History of Human Civilization

Early Civilization
1. The Beginning (from beginning to 3000BC)
o Evolution of human form and beginning of human civilization
o Stone Age
▪ Tools: Stone, wood, animal bone, horn
2. Civilization Between 3000BC to 1660AD
o Bronze Age (3000BC to 1000BC)
▪ First Human civilization
 ▪Copper: first discovered metal, Bronze: second
▪Start of different civilizations: Egyptian, Maya, Babylonian, Jews,
Aryans
▪ Discoveries: potato, animal domestication, cultivation, first writing
system, construction of temples, tombs, war chariots, yoga and
meditation
o Iron Age (1100AD to 500AD)
▪ First use of iron
▪ Birth of Buddha, Jesus, Plato, Aristotle
▪ Inventions: construction of great wall, paper, development of iron
technology, literature
o The Middle Ages (500 to 1450)
▪ Birth of Prophet Muhammad, Mongolian conquest, Mogul dynasty in
India
▪ Inventions: advances in maths, physics, chemistry, metallurgical and
technical devices, silk, good quality paper, Mariner’s compass
o Towards Modern World (1450 to 1660)
▪ Birth of many scientists: Vinci, Galileo, Pascal, Newton
▪ Mechanical inventions using science and technology
▪ Education system around western world
▪ Inventions: sawmill, microscope, telescope, clocks
The Great Renaissance of Europe (14th to 17th century)
- Rebirth of philosophy, literature and art
- Development in astronomy
- World exploration
- Rise of experimental science
Early Part of industrial revolution (1660 to 1815)
- Age of social and financial development and scientific discoveries
- Mass production and factory system with improved machinery
- Inventions/Discoveries: Water-powered mill, processing of iron ore, steam engine,
first locomotive, electricity, steam powered train
Industrial revolution in maturity (1815 to 1918)
- Revolution in science: Faraday, Graham Bell, Darwin Einstein
- Age of engineering and technological advancement
- Inventions: Electric motor-Faraday, first railway, electric telegram, Analytical engine-
Charles Babbage, Petrol car- Carl Benz, Wireless telegraphy-Marconi, first aircraft-
Wright brothers, Gantt Chart
- Impacts of industrial revolution
o Advancement in science and technology
o Rise of class disparity
o Material growth and subsequent colonization
 o Decentralization and growth of trade and business
Transformation of Industrial to Information society
- Post-industrial era
- Liberation of colonized countries aftermath of war
- Modern computer-1950
- Human beings in space - 1961
- Human beings in moon – 1969
- Optical fiber, laser
- Super computer – 1976
- Laptop- 1989
- Internet, Robot
World War
WWI
- Germany, Austria-Hungary vs France, UK, Italy, Russia, US
- Inventions: high explosives, poison gases, telephone, wireless communication,
armored cars, tanks, development of ship & aircraft, automatic rifle
- Impacts
o Use of technology for development of weapons
o Downfall of monarchies: German, Turkey, Austria, Hungary and Russia
o Marked end of colonialism
o Economic imbalance: Europe in debt
o Inflation shot up
o Women in business and start of labor laws
o Founding of the League of Nations
o Treaty of Versailles: cause of world WWII
o Human loss: 17M dead and 20M injured
WWII
- Axis: Germany, Italy and Japan
- Allies: France, UK, Poland, Russia, USA
- Ended with victory of allies
- Inventions: advance military weapons, jet plane, crewless plane, modern rockets,
helicopters, advance tanks, advance communication, nuclear weapons, artificial
harbors, beginning of digital computer
- Positive Impacts
o New technological advancement
o Creation of United Nations
o Decolonization movement
o Integration of western Europe
o Beginning of computer age
- Negative impacts
 o Loss of life: about 50M in war and 30M post war consequences like famine,
epidemics
o Destruction of property
o Air, water and soil pollution
o Beginning of cold war: USA (capitalism) and Soviet Union (Communism)

Environment
Human Impact on Environment/ Ecosystem
1. Destruction or modification of habitat
2. Overexploitation of resources for commercial purposes
3. Overgrazing of domestic animals
4. Change in arable land
5. Industrialization, urbanization
6. Mining and quarrying
7. Pressure from introduced plants
8. Population pressure
9. Use of chemicals and drugs
10. Destruction of ecological balance
Ways to protect environment from individual level
1. Convert organic waste to compost manure
2. Reduce use of plastic bags
3. Support tree plantation campaigns
4. Walk or cycle instead of driving cars
5. Use public transport as far as possible
6. Recycle non-biodegradable goods
7. Use energy efficient equipment
Causes of conflict of resources
1. Economic globalization: increase in consumption rate
2. Unsustainable consumption
3. Population growth
4. Economic warfare: when only few people have access to resources, conflict arises
Global environmental issues
1. Climate change
2. Global warming and rise in sea level
3. Ozone layer depletion
4. Acid rain
 5. Pollution
6. Overpopulation
7. Loss of biodiversity
8. Urban sprawl
9. Deforestation
10. Genetic engineering: new species might cause unexpected effects on environment
Environmental issues in Nepal
1. Deforestation and land degradation
2. Water and air pollution
3. Overpopulation
4. Climate change: extreme climate conditions
5. Acid rain
6. Loss of biodiversity
7. Desertification
8. Poaching
9. Waterborne diseases
10. Illegal mining of sand, stones
11. Defoliants

Corrective measures of Environmental issues

1. Promote clean development mechanism
2. Conserving biodiversity
3. EIA should be properly done before staring any project
4. Apply sustainable development principles
5. Environment monitoring system
6. Proper disposal of chemicals
7. Public awareness
8. Participation of all sectors

Water and Air Pollution

Water Pollution
the release of substances into water sources to the point where the substances interfere
with beneficial use of the water or with the natural functioning of ecosystems.
Causes
1. Domestic sewage
2. Solid waste
3. Toxic waste: lead, mercury, arsenic
4. Oil spills
 5. Use of fertilizers and pesticides
6. Flow of debris or sediments into water
Effects
1. Hampers ecosystem esp. aquatic
2. Public health and waterborne diseases: typhoid, cholera, giardia, dysentery, hepatitis
A
3. Eutrophication from nitrogen pollution: excess nutrients in water
4. Ocean acidification
5. Heat: causes thermal pollution
Solutions/Preventive measures
1. Proper sanitation and sewage management
2. Industrial wastewater management
3. Agricultural wastewater treatment
4. Management of erosion and sediment control
5. Control of urban runoff

Air Pollution
Causes
1. Burning of fossil fuels
2. Agricultural activities: using pesticides
3. Exhaust from industries
4. Mining operations
5. Indoor air pollution
6. Deforestation
7. Vehicular emissions
Impacts
1. Respiratory and heart problems
2. Global warming
3. Acid rain: S0x, N0x
4. Eutrophication
5. Effect on wildlife
6. Deterioration of buildings and heritages
7. Effects in vegetation
8. Effects in physical properties of atmosphere: visibility, turbidity
Mitigating measures
1. Control of industrial emissions with mechanical devices
2. Use of public transportation
3. Implementing the concept of 3Rs
 4. Conserving energy
5. Emphasis on clean energy sources
6. Air quality legislation and standards
7. Use of filter for chimneys
8. Afforestation: Nature does the rest

Climate Change
It is a change of climate that is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity, altering the
composition of the global atmosphere. – UNFCCC
Causes
I. Natural factors
a. Volcanic eruptions: release of SO2, dust and ash into air
b. Plate tectonics: changes geometry of oceans which causes change in ocean
circulation
c. Ocean currents
d. Solar radiations: Change in radiations from sun changes climate
e. Earth orbital changes
II. Human causes
a. Green house gases: CO2, CH4, CFC, N2O
b. Deforestation
c. Coal mining
d. Burning of fossil fuels
e. Industrial emissions
Effects
1. Change in rainfall patterns
2. Depletion of artic ice
3. Wildfires
4. Heat waves
5. Loss of wild species
6. Rise in sea level
7. Shifting of habitat: shift to higher altitudes
8. Rise in temperature
Mitigation measures
1. Sustainable transportation
2. Use of low carbon technology
3. Decreasing use of non-renewable resources and focusing on use of renewable
resources
4. Environmental taxes on GHG emissions
International Efforts
1988 - Creation of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
- To provide up to date picture of current state of climate change
1992, June – Rio Earth Summit
- 166 countries signed UNFCCC, (now 195)
- Acknowledge humanity’s role in global warming
1997, Dec – Kyoto Protocol
- Came into effect from 2005, Feb
- Reduce emission of 6 GHGs
2005, Jan – Launch of the European Union Emissions Trading System
- 3*20 objectives
- Reduce GHG emission by 20%
- Increase share of renewable resources by 20%
- Improve energy efficiency by 20%
2009, Dec – Copenhagen Climate Change Conference
- Disagreement between developed countries and emerging economies like China,
India and Brazil
2010, Dec – Cancun Climate Change Conference
- Declared to provide $100 billion a year from 2020 to help developing countries
combat climate change and deforestation
2012, June – Rio + 20 Conference
- Conducted 20 years after first Rio summit
2015, Dec – Paris Agreement, COP21
- Limiting global warming under 2 degrees in this century
2019, Dec – European Green Deal
- Carbon neutrality by 2050

Importance of National Parks, Conservation Areas

1. Conservation of biodiversity
2. Protection of heritages
3. Public enjoyment and access
4. Economic and social values
5. To protect environmental balance