Böcker utgivna av Practical Action Publishing

This book examines strategies of engagement employed by women working to transform the bureaucratic structures of state organizations, multilateral institutions and NGOs to make them more gender-equitable. It is aimed at feminists working within state or civil society institutions - with the aim of promoting women's concerns.

The jiko, a charcoal-burning stove consisting of a ceramic liner fitted inside a metal case, burns 25 to 40 per cent less charcoal than the traditional stoves on which its design was based. This book provides guidance on its production and promotion.

This book provides examples of toilets that provide a safe sanitation option and recycle nutrients in excreta to produce compost. The designs are suitable for regions where there is no high water table or prolonged wet season with instructions for constructing toilets, from the simplest, most affordable to the more sophisticated ecological toilet.

Confronts the paradox of mass poverty coexisting with vast resource potentials in rural India, such as the potentials from groundwater and trees, previously underestimated. Combines empirical research with practical political economy.

Traditionally the primary function of NGOs has been to mitigate the effects of war; providing humanitarian aid and protection on the peripheries of violent conflict. Recently there has been an increased focus on the impact of humanitarian aid in general, and to a lesser extent on the impact of aid on conflict and peace dynamics.

People's Participation draws on the 165 papers discussed at the 1997 World Congress of Participative Convergence in Knowledge, Space and Time, to present the most significant themes arising from this important event. The book looks at the social, political, economic and cultural movements at the heart of Participative Research - where knowledge, space and time are seen as the principal tools for change for the advancement of peoples. It has been published to promote the ongoing discussion amongst economists, politicians, scholars, NGO workers, policymakers, engineers, scientists, social scientists and all those with a deep interest or involvement with Participatory Approaches and methodologies.

This is a practical handbook providing an introduction to the equipment, maintenance and operation of solar pumping systems. It identifies situations where solar pumps may be appropriate and it reviews developments in solar pumping technology.

This book traces the development of Ghana's informal engineering sector through stories of the progress of the actual people involved. The first generation of grassroots engineers are wayside vehicle mechanics, or 'fitters', engaged in repairing machinery.

Learning from others in the form of fusion and adaptation of existing tools and approaches is very much part of evolving new participatory methods. This book discusses a wide and rich range of participatory methods, focussing on Reflect and the Internal Learning System (ILS). In the second part of the book, the authors reflect on what enables and constrains creativity, adaptation, and innovation, using examples of many different methodologies to illustrate their discussions.These reflections come from two broad perspectives: from innovators who have all worked principally as independent development consultants and advisors, and from researchers. These two common positions in the world of development and aid give rise to different challenges in creating and using participatory methodologies.

This is a guide to the use of induction motors for electricity generation in remote locations. It is written as a practical handbook for engineers and technicians involved in designing and installing small water-power schemes for isolated houses and communities.

Local crop diversity in the South is being threatened by the promotion of modern 'high-yield' varieties. These worldwide case studies show the importance of small-scale farmers and local communities to maintaining crop diversity.

This book contains both justification and inspiration for Design and Technology teachers wishing to introduce sustainable design into their lessons. The authors introduce the big issues, link climate change and poverty to sustainable design, and encourage us all to develop as active citizens taking on our environmental responsibilities.

This handbook covers a whole range of issues relating to local seed supply systems, including participatory plant breeding, and both technical and practical information on seed production and variety maintenance. It suggests new approaches and methods to support on-farm seed production by small-scale farmers in developing countries.

This book presents cases of indigenous experimentation as well as the benefits in terms of rural development of new partnerships between farmers and formal research. Development workers, agricultural researchers concerned about rural poverty, agricultural sustainability and local resource management will find this book highly relevant.

Case studies from around the world examine the introduction of improved packaging technology, and there are useful lists of manufacturers and organizations which can help small businesses.

This interdisciplinary selection of 12 essays explores topics central to the education of development professionals; in particular planners, urban designers, engineers, and architects.

Renewable energy can present a baffling array of options to aid agency managers, government officials, and advisers. This publication contrasts the relative merits of biomass, solar, hydro, and wind power, as well as detailing some direct applications.

The book draws on the experience of farmers' own enterprises, combining superior production along with enhancement of biological diversity. It is based on work in 12 countries with collaborating scientists and farmers, showing how its authors perceive and quantitatively analyse agrodiversity, and how they work together with farmers.

Urban Sanitation covers all stages of the planning process and shows how unified urban sanitation planning is a vital weapon in the war against disease. This book is for all decision makers and their advisers with a direct or indirect interest in urban sanitation. It can be used at international, national, state or provincial, municipal and local levels. It is also suitable as a text for infrastructure planning courses. The first five chapters outline the nature of urban sanitation problems, identify effective strategic responses to them and set out practical ways in which these strategic principles can be applied. Four chapters cover critical aspects of the strategic planning process: sanitation and hygiene promotion; information collection and analysis; technology choice; and participatory workshops. The final chapter provides guidance on putting the plan into action. The book goes beyond simplistic formulae to suggest ways in which formal plans, market forces and actions at the local level can be brought together to provide a viable response to sanitation problems. The approach is simple but has potential to bring about significant impacts if regularly applied by all stakeholders, from local groups through to international agencies. It draws on a wealth of field experience and in doing so provides tried and tested findings and recommendations in 32 case studies. Supplementary sections set out the links between sanitation and health, review sanitation technologies, provide information on participatory methods and detail sources of further information.

This completely revised and expanded second edition is the essential reference guide for all those involved in food processing on a small- or medium-scale. Extensively illustrated, clearly laid out and easy to use. A vital reference tool for business advisers and trainers, development workers and food processing.

This is the first book to focus on farmer-led extension, drawing on the experiences of over 70 farmers, community workers, NGO staff, researchers and policy makers from throughout the world.

This book addresses the long-overdue imbalance in disaster management: an over-emphasis on post-disaster assistance and a lack of attention to vulnerability reduction. It answers the fundamental question in this debate: how can we mould pre-disaster development initiatives to become the most appropriate means for vulnerability reduction.

This is the first book to look at gender issues in disasters in the context of South Asia, where disasters have a crucial impact on the development process. It shows how exploring the specific capacities and vulnerabilities of men and women in disaster situations will improve the chance of success in development projects.

This book is intended as a starting point for those considering lime as a building material, and as a general reference to the broad range of uses for lime in construction. It shows how to make the best use of different types of lime, whether extracted locally or transported from further afield.