This book goes beyond the usual criticism of development projects. It brings forth the positive aspects and argues for better project management besides other things. Dr. Floris P. Blankenberg has synthesised the theoretical and practical aspects in such a way that the students of development would find it very useful. This will prove to be a reference book for UNDP, ECOSOC, EEC and other bilateral aid programmes. It’s worth mentioning that Indian administrators and socio-economic development project implementors would find this book useful with actual field situations.
With recent emphasis on rural development and promotion of appropriate technologies, this book will help those concerned in the Planning Commission of India on the energy front. The author’s experiences narrated in wind mill project should be eye opener for all of us. Energy, women and rural environment are interdependent and development projects will have to keep this in mind. This is underlying message of the book.
In this book, the implementation of the various projects are described and analysed in details: a windmill, a solar cooker and a biogas project in Gujarat; a biogas, a power ghani, a potter equipment and a handpump project in Tamil Nadu. This scenario applies to every state in India.
The author is clear that it is not to be expected that intermediate technology will contribute to fundamental development of the rural masses.
Despite their shortcomings, it is nevertheless concluded that the newly introduced technology has some marginal positive effects on the position of those people reached by the projects. Thus, this book offers a silver line.
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