-J '"'
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA
ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
THE PROMOTION OF INTER-COUNTRY TECHNOLOGICAL INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS IN THE CONTEXT OF REGIONAL
INTEGRATION: THE AFRICAN EXPERIENCE
Science and Technology Section Natural Resources Division
July 1990
Environmentally sound technology assessment
The promotion of inter-country technological/industrial projects in the context of regional integration: the African experience
Introduction
In the move to accelerate economic growth and social development, science and technology are accepted as essential v tools. Consequently, the development and application of
•■■ such technologies are receiving increased attention. In
# this rush towards development, very often adequate attention is not paid to the negative environmental impacts of those technologies. The preservation of a healthy environment has become an '^.ssue of global concern as mankind is moving towards an environmental crisis, which, unless checked in time, will seriously affect future development prospects(1). Instead of an indiscriminate use of available technologies, there is a need for applying environmentally sound technologies which are ' clean' and
'resource-conserving'.
Inter-country co-operation in developing and applying environmentally sound technologies is recognized as a viable means to accelerate development and to make optimal use of the scant available resources. Cooperation is also important because the use of some technologies by a country may have an impact on another country. Such co-operation is being fostered in the context of regional integration, and has received the blessings of policy makers at the highest level. In the African region, the recent 26th OAU summit of Heads of states and government, in A:lcUs Aba-
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ba, from the 9-12 July 1990, endorsed the creation of an African Economic Community, and the need for environmental considerations in our devepment agenda.
Inter-country technological/industrial project in the context of regional integration in Africa
African countries lack the resources to set up and operate high-level institutions required for training their nationals, carry out effective research and development and establish and operate efficient technological/industrial facilities. These institutions and facilities can be more viable and profitable when operated on a regional basis.
Training
In the field of training, it is obvious that not every country can offer courses and programmes which will satisfy the national needs. Since technical training is specialized, . regional cooperation and coordination are needed in order that all courses required be available and that duplication and waste of resources be avoided. Africa has done a lot of progress since independence in pooling regional resources in order to offer a wider variety of technical training services of higher'*standards than what is possible to achieve vjpn a national basis.
Two types of institutions serving several countries has been^ set up: those financed and managed on a regional basis' .p.n'd those run nationally that take students and trainees from the countries of the region. So far the
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second type seems to have produced better results. Reasons for this include the greater stability of financing and the lesser difficulties of management and operations. Over 60 national technical training institutions in Africa accepts students from foreign countries and over 90 regional training institutes are in operation. In addition, about 30 regional associations concerned with education are active. Since most of • those institutions and associations have been established in a recent past and in view of the prevailing and pervading economic crisis facing Sub-saharan Africa, there is a need to better coordinate and rationalise the multitude of regional facilities. Many countries are finding it increasingly difficult to meet their financial obligations and arears are mounting. It is difficult in these circumstances to carry out the mandated tasks assigned to the1 regional institutions, let alone plan for future activities. Furthermore, many regional institutions have high overhead costs since they must spend resources securing their financing and hold statutory regional conferences and meetings sometimes at Heads ^of State and ministerial level to determine priorities and carry out administrative tasks.
In the nexts few years efforts should be concentrated at reducing the administrative costs of the regional institutions and rationalising and consolidating the national institutions having a regional participation.
At the university level this need is more obvious because the costs are high. So new forms of cooperation are emerging. One example of this successful cooperation is taking place in the southern Africa region where various universities are cooperating to offer a wide variety of high-level courses in agricultural sciences. The University of Zambia will specialise in crop sciences, the Un L/ -rsity
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of Malawi in animal sciences, the University of Zimbabwe in agricultural economics, and Sokoine University (Tanzania)
in agricultural engineering^).
The African Network of Scientific and Technological Institutions (ANSTI)' which became operational in 1980 is another example ' of successful cooperation amongst African
* institutions and universities engaged in postgraduate training and research in science and technology. This . cooperation is achieved through disciplinary subnetworks . m nine engineering fields, viz: agricultural engineering -I.,and food processing technology, chemical engineering, civil ...engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, energy
(solar and unconventional power sources), mechanical
engineering, metallurgical engineering, mining and geological engineering, water resources and environmental engineering.
Postgraduate training and research for each disciplinary network is located at the coordinator institution selected on the basis of its strength . in staff infrastructural capabilities, and research programmes. During the first seven years of ANSTI a number of achievements have been recorded. In the field of training the objective has been to train key personnel (emphasis on the trainers): 92 ANSTI fellows completed postgraduate training at one of the ANSTI institution outside their home countries; eight technicians from seven African countries completed a study programme
on solar energy; 14 visiting fellowships were awarded to teaching staff to undertake teaching for one year at another ANSTI^ institution; 6 international fellowships were awarded to academic and senior technical staff to acquire special skills outside their home institutions; and co-ordinator institutions were provided with a support in the form of
books and equipment. ANSTI has also promoted institutional
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and professional communications through disciplinary meetings, scientific seminars and conferences of
deans/directors of its member institutions and . through such contacts collaboration amongst participating institutions has been strengthened. Support is also given to joint research activities and to the exchange of views and information' through newsletters and journals. The activities of ANSTI have thus brought about practical collaboration amongst the member institutions in high level scientific and technological manpower training, sharing and maximizing the use of the specialised training and .""" facilities all of wnich have made significant
•contribution in line with the priorities set by the Lagos
Plan of Action.
Networking is also practiced through various associations such as the Association of African Universities 1'Association des Universites Partiellement ou Entierement de Langue Francaise, 1'Universite des Reseaux depression France, the Association of Faculties of Agriculture
«n Africa and the African Teachers Association.
Research and Development
Regional research and development institutions hold
the same promises and face the same difficulties as the
training institutions. Despite the great diversity of
research problems there is sufficient commonality in Africa
to justify regional Centers of excellence in many fields
and create effective critical masses of competence. But
African governments cannot in the present situation meet
all their financial obligations and the existence of many institutions is put into question. There is a need to cut management expenses and rationalize.
Operation costs can be reduced by reforming the organisational structures and improving management. First, Heads of State * and ministers should not participate in the policy making, policy coordination and executive councils of the institutions but appoint managers accountable to them. Second building and transport equipment should be acquired preferably on a rental basis whenever possible.
Third, research should be done on a contracting-out basis rather than on an in-house lifetime employment basis.
Fourth, a greater effort at rationalizing existing centers with similar mandates should be carried out (for instance in the field of standards and intellectual property). Fifth, when setting out a new institution, financing should be guaranteed for at least five years before going along with the project. In addition, some strategic institutions should be strengthened in critical' fields of environmentally sound technological development, such as energy-efficient stoves, efficient trees for woodfuel, carbonization technnology, river bassin planning, pest control, desertification control, soil fertility maintenance, cheap sewage system, reforestation technique, early warning system, population and family planning technolgies to keep down the pressure and stress on the environment.
There is a need to build an assessment capacity, redesign the institutional framework of most regional scientific and technological institutions and build a management capacity to run these institutions. Networking of scientists and technologists also need to be reinforced
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through existing mecanisms. The creation of new mecanisms should be avoided as much as possible to concentrate resources on existing ones. At present, there are numerous regional associations of scientists and technologists, such as the Congress of African Scientists and Technologists, I1Association Africaine pour 1'Avancement des Sciences et des Technologies, the African Academy of Science and the Pan-African Union for Science and Technology. in addition, many international associations have a distinctive African participation such as, the Third World Academy of Science, the Intergovernmental Bureau for Information,
■ the World Federation of Engineers. Many other associations 'and networks are operating at highly specialised levels.
Industrial projects
Regional cooperation in industrial projects is a necessity for efficient development of many intermediate and capital goods and important for many consumer products.
African companies can find outlets in neighbouring countries for their excess capacity and acquire experience for tackling overseas markets. But so far very little progress has been achieved in regional markets integration in Africa.
Intra regional trade has remained at about the same level as it was twenty years ago despite the numerous policy statements and the regional institutions which have been
^created to foster regional integration. Political will and leadership have lacked and institutions have not been effective for various reasons: financial difficulties, lack of support and power, politicized appointments, suspicions that the costs and benefits will be distributed unevenly, instability of trade policies, currency regulations
and devaluations, poor transport and communication infrastructures... Of all attempts at regional integration, the West African Economic Community (CEAO) has been the most successfully perhaps because of the monetary stability and convertibility their member's countries enjoyed. The Southern African Development Cordination Conference (SADCC)
is also successful perhaps because it has avoided ambitious
integration skemes and heavy structures and opted for an incremental project oriented approach.{2).Examples of successful industrial projects which have benefited from regional markets are found in the garments sectors (Zambia, Madagascar, Mauritania), the brewery sector (Kenya) and the energy sector {oil, hydro electricity).
The evidence of widespread smuggling across Africa indicates that, intra-regional trade could grow a lot more and benefit all-parties provided the trade barriers are removed.
Joint, industrial ventures between Africa countries have been rare and often unsuccessful. Failures of large .ciment, fertilizer and chemical projects, partly due to problems of exchange rates, poor management, uncompetitive costs and overcapacity, have left scars and doubts which have not yet disappeared.
Policies to promote regional integration of
technological/industrial projects should focus on the removal of the fundamantal constraints which prevent trade among
African countries and the pooling of raw material and other resources for manufacture using the principle of comparative advantage. Perhaps the largest handicaps, in additionto the problems mentioned above, is the high costs of doing business in Africa and the uncompetitiveness of African industries vis-a-vis the developed countries, th<. -,owly industrialized countries and other developing countries.
Intra-r'egional trade can only grow if African industries
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can produce and deliver complementary goods in a competitive way. Informal trade shows that many problems can be overcome including the constraints of poor transport. and communications infrastructures. What is needed in terms of policy is the promotion of a favorable environment for doing business on the national market and the reduction of the barriers for a free movement of goods, services,
^labour and capital.
Technology Assessment in Africa
In Africa only a few national institutions carry out actual technology assessment through their national centres of; technololgy or their ministries responsible for technology. Most of the research necessary for a complete technology assessment is carried out by consultants from industrial countries within the framework of bilateral and multilateral development assistance programmes, specially when it concerns new technologies.
Many technology transfer projects have failed in Africa because the local, environmental and socio-economic conditions had not been properly assessed. In order to strengthen the assessment capacity, it is essential for all African countries to have a national or a subregional cell, unit # or centre for technology assessment, specially now when a hos£ of new technologies are invading the region.
The opening up to international market forces and a free economy has to be regulated by national or subregional institutions that enable a proper assessment of environmentally sound technologies. Governments and the private sector;should work very closely in setting up such regulatory institutions and in enacting the necessary legislations or guidelines.
Policy measures and plans
Explicit technology policies and plans (3) are very few in Africa. Ethiopia., Ghana, Kenya/ Nigeria and Tanzania have framed such policies, and environmental concerns are expressed in these policies. However, the plans and operational steps, to implement the policies are only now being integrated into -overall national development plans.
With the growing awareness of environmental impacts of . industrialization, a few countries have formulated comprehensive national Environmental Action Plans (EAP) with the help of the World Bank (4) These plans go beyond traditional assessments and general policy recommandations, and formulate specific actions for the implementation of these policies, within the framework of the country's overall economic and social development plans.
By tJie latter part of 1989, Environmental Action Plans have been completed in Lesotho, Madagascar and Mauritius, and plans were being finalised for Ghana, Rwanda, Burkina
Faso and Guinea.
Since such plans need clear political endorsement and active support from governments and the people, broad participation in their formulation is essential. Some countries {Lesotho and Mauritius) have organized national debates on these issues with the participation of grassroots organizations, and the concept of environmentally sound technologies has been aired. The participation of the private sector in the formulation of the policies and plans has been »enlisted. While national environmental plans
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"d
and programmes. in
aUmiUS' the ^™»t ^s moved quickly to Umit
rr.that contribute to —* degradati:
and Wlser ln the ch. ^
technologies. A11 new project
for Possible negative i
J
j poposals ^ J
Possible negative environ-nental impacts, and ^
necessarily includes the choice of •
• technologies. envxronmentally sound
An extension of such activities on the regional and
inter-regional level win need .h .
i^ need the existence of
,nter_governmental machinery that can aierfc
govarn-oent. on these issues. It is proposed ^ ^ ^ lntergovernmental Co^ittee of Experts for Science and
■ It11010- -—- '—STD), undertakes to these 1Ssues at its ratings, and invites governme9nts ^ gli expedxte the formation of such policies Id plans f
environmentally sound technologies.
_ Such policies and Plans must be
• - ; ;:::e:°deveiopers and users Le .I "SCal' flnanCial ^ ^"tution-l incentives
e ea hme;;re; tO, —^ the -*— -ctor in promoting
trc:rm:: ;:-r
Environmental impact here should Mt restricted to the impact on the nafnr.i
natural environment alone.
■it should
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have a socio-cultural dimension wherein the effect on health, quality of life of the'people and their social and cultural practices, should be assessed with a view to improving the technological inputs.
Relevant information
In the formulation of environmentally sound technology policies and plans, a major stumbling block is the lack of adequate relevant information. Most of such information is available in developed countries, and their access to African countries is not always easy. In most cases the information is incomplete or poorly developed both nationally and internationally. Information on resource efficient technologies is very difficult to find since process technologies are usually developed by individual firms for their own use, or for commercial purposes.
It is therefore necessary to have a global data base on environmentally sound technologies. Such a data-base can best be located at the headquarters of the UN Centre for Science and Technology for Development (UNCSTD), that
•ftas, within the last decade already developed significant capacity for this through its work on the setting up of a Global Information Network (GIN) for science and technology. The cooperation of UNEP in this exercise will be significant, but as the promotion of sound science and technology policies is the most important role of UNCSTD, the location of the data base for information on environmentally sound technologies should be prefarably at UNCSTD. Their work on Advance Technology Alert system
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(ATAS) will thereby become easier.
In the African region the African Regional Centre for Technology Information System (ARCTIS), needs -to be strengthened to house the regional data base for environmentally sound technologies. Here again, the ongoing publication of ALERT Africa (5) will be improved by regular publications on relevant environmentally sound technologies.
The proper monitoring of the environment also need relevant meteorological information. In this area, the UNECA in cooperation with other UN agencies has launched the ACMAD programme (6) , with the objective of collection, analysis and processing of meteorological data and their dissemination to users. The programme will supply member countries with information that will help them to contribute more effectively to socio-economic development through early warming systems, assessment and alleviation of the effects of drought, desertification, floods, tropical cyclones, increase in food production, use of renewable
energy sources and conservation of the environment.
T*he use of anti-pollution technologies in selected African
countries
Antipollution technologies are being used in a few countries in Africa. A study conducted by ECA on pollution control and jwaste disposal problems in selected African countries (7), namely Algeria, Cameroon, Senegal, Tanzania and . Zimbabwe has shown that environmental considerations have^ not been in the forefront in the technological choices.
Pollution control has been incorporated only as remedial measures when pollution was detected and had to be reduced.
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In the case of Algeria the institution responsible for environmental matters, the Directorate of Environment in the Ministry of the Interior, has undertaken measures for monitoring and control of industrial wastes through policies and legislations which aim at accelerating anti- pollution installations and facilities to monitor and reduce pollution. This- has necessitated the search for
^environmentally sound technologies and their assessment.
Actions have been taken in the case of heavy industries including mineral processing complexes for mercury, decantation plants for copper, zinc and lead and alluminium smelting. Anti-pollution installations have been put into place. Similar measures have been taken in light industries, including asbestos plants, tanneries and cement factories.
Legislations have made it compulsory to instale anti-pollution systems in all cases where industrial
..pollution is expected.
In Cameroon there are fewer industries that generate
■ pollution. A sub-directorate of the Ministry of Plan deals with environmental issues. Apart from aluminium smelting, petroleum and chemical industries all the others are light industries. Although there are regulations for determining the toxicity of local products there are none for monitoring industrial wastes, and as such no proper environmentally sound technology assessment takes place. Only in Algeria, Senegal and Zimbabwe is there any activity in promoting anti-pollution systems. In Senegal, the code dealing with wastes, does not however make it compulsory for all
industrial units that produce hazardous and toxic wastes to have anti-pollution and re-cycling systems which should be verified periodically to ensure that they function.
Thus environmentally sound technology assessment is still in the offing and it will take some time before proper legislations and practices will come up.
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The National Environmental Management Council (NEMC) in Tanzania has the task of implementing environmental legislations. Since the industrial sector is weak, environmental considerations have not had any priority, and the limited industrial wastes are discharged in the urban sewerage system. With new efforts towards industrialization, ' NEMC should seriously consider the
^assessment of environmentally sound technologies.
In Zimbabwe the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism is responsible for environmental matters. As it is comparably much more industrialised that most African
■■countrie"s, the generation of industrial waste is quite ftigh. Though the country still does not have specific legislation on environmental waste pollution, sectoral laws and regulations on water and air pollution do exist, and based on these laws the industry is expected to recycle wastes, and adopt environmentally sound technologies.
Suggestions for increasing R-D and the use of environmentally sound technologies in Africa
While scientific research projects are mainly funded by public bocji es and governments, technological development projects are mostly funded and executed by private industrial enterprises. The results emanating from technological development efforts are thus guarded and exploited for commercial gains. Thus international co-operation in technological development is guided primarily by commercial and strategic considerations (8) . Attempts to enhance such co-operation between developed and developing nations will meet with limited success, unless such attempts are based on a consideration of give and take whereby both partners benefit. Unilateral and cheap transfer of technology is
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out of question, specially when it deals with advanced technologies that have required heavy investment in R-D.
Research and development on environmentally - sound technologies are costly, and the only way for Africa to really undertake such an activity is through association with groups in developing and in developed countries, dealing with the same problems. Hence, in the spirit of co-operation, resources should be pooled together to enable any significant research and development to take place.
£he developed countries on their side can undertake such R+D, and have a moral responsibility to associate developing countries in projects from which the latter can gain. Issues of global concern have to be tackled through joint efforts. Those that have only regional dimensions also need the support of the developed world, and the funding of such R+D should be favoured by donor
countries.
|V Actions have to be undertaken at global, regional, subregional and national levels.
At the global level
(1) In view of the important role of the UNCSTD in
promoting appropriate policies and plans in science and technology, a data-base for relevant information on environmentally sound technologies should be set up at the centre, with the cooperation of UNEP, UNIDO, and UNCTAD.(2) The ^ Swedish International Institute for
Environmentally sound Technologies Assessment (SIIES'J'A) ( 9 )
should be strengthened to include researchers from developing
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countries. The institute should organize regular workshops and seminars to train researchers and policy makers from developing countries to master the techniques of environmentally sound technology assessment, and to conduct research and development in their own countries and regions.
At the regional level;
(3) The ECA Intergovernmental Committee of Experts for Science and Technology Development (IGCESTD) should highlight the issues of environmentally sound technology assessment at its meetings and invite governments to expedite the formulation of appropriate policies and plans.
(4) ECA should undertake studies of regional dimensions on the development and application of new technologies that are envxronmentally sound, and disseminate these studies
among the member states.
(5) A regional data-base on environmentally sound technologies should be set-up to provide relevant information to member - states in their choice of appropriate technologies. The African Regional Centre Technology Information System (ARCTIS), should be strengthened to undertake this activity successfully.
(6) The African Development Bank, in cooperation
with international donors, should set up an African Technology Fund to support research and development inthe area of appropriate technologies, and particularly
environmental^ sound technologies.(7) Efforts should be made to rationalize the regional science and technology institutions, improve their management
and secure their financing.
(8) Regional markets should be further developed
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in order to increase' the profitability of the industrial
facilities and their competitiveness on the internationalscene.
At the national level
(9) Member states should set up a national unit, centre or team to assess technologies globally (10), and
in particular environmentally sound technologies. Such
a^ unit should be multidisciplinary and consist of scientists,engineers, technologists, economists, ecologists, political
scientists, and anthropologists.
(10) Member states should organize national seminars
on environmental impacts of technologies, and involve concerned grass roots people and the private sector inthe formulation of national policies and plans leading
to relevant legislations to control and monitor pollution, and enforce environmentally sound technologies.
(11) Universities and research organizations should undertake research and development on environmentally sound technologies relevant to the priority needs of the country.
The funding of such projects should be budgeted in the UNDP country Indicative Planning Figure (IPF) until such time as the governments themselves can provide the necessary
funds':
Conclusion
The extremes of both wealth and poverty are the major
causes of environmental degradation. The wastes of consumersocieties, as well as the exploitation of resources for
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survival in poor societies are both contributing to an ecological imbalance that is threatening the survival of entire mankind. The eradicating of poverty as well as conscious self-control and reduction of consumerism are essential for man's survival. Deforestation, global warming, increased land and water salinity, pollution of rivers, lakes, seas f and the oceans are all environmental issues that need to - be tackled from all fronts, and international efforts in the use of environmentally sound technologies
are no more a luxury but a necessity for survival. Africa as the least developed continent, needs extra assistance in its efforts to cope with environmental issues. The share of Africa in international research and development on environmentally sound technologies has to be seen in the light of ^the devastating effects of poverty on the environment, mainly deforestation and the break in the C02 chain of recycling and global warming.
The allocation of resources for the application of environmentally sound technology has to be generous. In t-.he words of Mr. Antoine Blanca, the UN Director General for Development and International Economic Co-Operation, the time has arrived for the world community to acknowledge the critical juncture at which we now stand and to take concrete steps for implementing decisions which will guarantee a future world for the generations to come? (11)
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REFERENCES
• Our Common Future. The World Commission on Environment and Development, Oxford University Press. Oxford 1987.
- World Bank, Sub-Sahara Africa: from crisis to sustainable growth. Washington, 1989.
3- jjjgessur: An overview of Science and Technology Policy
in Africa: Paper presented at joint ECA/ARCT Seminaron Management of Technology, Mauritius, May 1990.
4 - Leif Christoffersen. Environmental Action Plans in Africa: Finance and Development, the World Bank, Dec.
1989.
5. ARCT, ALERT Africa, Newletter on Advance Technology Information for Africa- ARCT B.P. 2435 Dakar.
6. UNECA, ACMAD- African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development, Doc. 84T/2 0.04.89, Addis
Ababa, 1989.
7. UNECA, Pollution Control and waste disposal problems in selected African countries: ECA/NRD/ENV. Dec. 1989.
-UNE5CQ' Impact of Science on society: Interim Uonal
Cooperation in Science and Technology: a fresh look Vol. N° 155, Paris.- 21 -
9. SIIESTA, An International Institute for the Assessment of Environmentally Sound Technologies. Report of the Environmental Institute Commitee, Ministry of Environment
and Energy, Stockholm, 1988.
* 10• S. Jugessur, Technology policy and mechanisms for accelerated technological development; Proceedings of seminar on Technology Transfer, University of Mauritius, Reduit, Mauritius, September 1988.
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11• Antoine Blanca, Delayed action will undermine development: Update, UNCSTD N° 41, New York, Spring
1990.
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