Applying Science & Technology
as a Catalyst for Eradicating Poverty
Poverty may be known as a state symbol in less developed countries. Lester R.
Brown in his book 'World Without Borders' explains poverty thus; "Unfortunately
it is not an economic abstraction, it is a human condition. It is despair, grief
and pain. It is the despair of a father with a family of seven children in a
poor country when he joins the, swelling ranks of unemployed with no prospects
of unemployment compensation. Poverty is the longing of a young boy playing
outside a village school but unable to enter because his parents lack a few
rupees needed to buy text books. Poverty is the grief of parents watching a
three year old child die of a routine childhood disease because they cannot
afford any medical care." This is the grim, spectacle of poverty.
Poverty has been a consistent problem throughout history. It is the root cause
of many prevailing evils of society; as Aristotle said: “Poverty is the parent
of revolution and crime”. No matter what the median income, unemployment or
overall prosperity level is, there will always be people who are homeless and
hungry. Despite being one of the most prosperous countries in the world, the
United States is not immune to it either. Following are statistics produced by
World Bank in 2008:
Even today, there are still people struggling to find shelter, feed their kids
and find warm clothing. This social problem has various impacts on different
institutions and people. However, there are feasible solutions that are
available to alleviate this social problem, and one of those solutions is the
use of Science and Technology.
The body of knowledge which can be used to produce goods and services from
economic resources is called technology. While technological progress means the
increased application of new scientific knowledge in the form of inventions and
innovations. The role of science and technology in economic development and
innovative technologies is boastful. It can not only create more jobs, but also
suggests ways of increase in production, cutting costs, increasing sources and
overall improvement, which help minimize the poverty ratio.
The first and foremost thing a poor is concerned about is adequate amount of
food, which is important for survival. In past, only seasonal fruits and crops
could be utilized to eat and there were no ways of accelerating the yield.
However, science and technology can help a lot in this regard. Scientific study
of plants can help farmers pick best quality seeds and fertilizers, geography
can guide the best land to grow on, and technology can provide all the tools to
gain more yield in less time and can teach the methods of preserving for future
use. South Asian countries have made remarkable advances in food production
accompanied by a dramatic reduction of poverty during the past two decades. This
has been due to the result of trade and investment reforms created from advance
technologies, which have generated economic growth in this region. Despite these
changes South Asia generates only 2% of the global income, yet supports 22% of
the world’s population and 44% of the world’s poor. Over 75% of the population
depends directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihoods. Therefore,
agriculture will play a major role in minimizing poverty.
Land, water, and biodiversity are the base not only of agriculture but of the
very life and existence of humankind. Conservation, sustainable use and
development of these resources are fundamental to the survival and progress of
humanity. Science and technology therefore must play a leading role in arresting
and even reversing the ongoing trend of degradation and erosion of these basic
resources. Per caput agricultural land availability in the Asia-Pacific region
is one-sixth of that in the rest of the world (FAO-RAP 2001) and per caput water
availability in the region is also the lowest (3.3 cubic kilometers per year)
among regions of the world (against 28.3 cubic kilometers per year in South
America) (Ayibotele, 1992). Therefore, the need for most judicious and efficient
use of land and water resources through the blend of appropriate technologies,
policies and people's power can hardly be over emphasized.
The frequency of natural disasters has intense impact on people in which people
are killed, injured, rendered homeless, or otherwise affected by catastrophes.
Apart from human death and injury, there is damage and loss to standing crops,
livestock, food stocks, tools, equipment, buildings, irrigation and drainage
systems, transportation networks and other capital. These devastating disasters
are result of climatic, geographic and natural resource diversity, and the
victims are left with nothing but poverty. Increasingly, environmental
degradation, climate change and settlement of marginal lands are making people
vulnerable to natural hazards. In recovering from these disasters and rebuilding
the infrastructure, much of the capital is lost which leaves the gap between
rich and poor. Science can help give better solutions for controlling such
disasters; such as construction of dams and technology can provide gadgets for
their predictions; such as monsoon floods. However, if situation is
unpredictable, for instance earthquake, the scientific advancement tells us the
possible cure of the disaster, hence minimizing the disaster impact, and
ultimately the poverty.
Further merits of science and technology can be judged by the following facts:
1. Use of Natural Resources :-
In the developing countries there are large number of natural resources like
land and minerals which are not utilized properly. Technology helps to utilize
these resources more effectively. As a result, not only more job opportunities
are produced but it also increases the natural resources within the country
which helps cut down the cost of things, and ultimately it is accessible for
everyone.
2. Best Use of Capital:-
Technology improves the marginal efficiency of capital. The output rate of
capital increases. It makes the capital more productive and profitable which
helps support the low income people in more effective way.
3. More division of labor:-
Technological progress has increased the specialization and division of labor in
all the sectors of the economy. Now due to this goods are produced on large
scale and more people have chance of earning.
4. Expansion of Industry:-
The use of technology expands the industry. It has reduced the cost of
production. The goods are now available on lower possible prices while the
profit of the producer is also normal. This makes it easy for low income class
of society to have their hands on what they need to live with satisfaction.
5. Improvement in Labor Efficiency:-
Technology also improves the efficiency of labor. It has increased the labor
output per hour. The labor can get better reward and the basic facilities like
food, clothing, housing and education will improve.
6. Increase in National Income:-
Technology is very useful in getting the more output from the same resources. It
increases the production and real income of the country.
7. Development of all the sectors:-
Now developed and underdeveloped countries are trying to install improved
technology in all the sectors, like agriculture, industry, education, transport,
banking etc. It stimulates the long term economic growth and has pivot role in
all the countries of the world.
Education can prove to be an effective tool in eradication of poverty, as it
gives people awareness of what their rights are and makes them skillful to earn,
which reduces the number of dependents on country capital, hence reducing
poverty. As science and technology improves and advances, education changes and
develops. For instance, while students used to have to go to a library to look
up sources for science projects, they now can instantly find the answer with a
click of a few buttons. Since computers and the Internet have developed so
greatly, this technology is being instituted in the classroom. The technology
helps the working students to study by distant learning using technology gadgets
and telecommunication technologies.
The scientific, academic and intellectual community must lead, at its very
forefront, the struggle against poverty in order to narrow the gap between the
haves and the haves not, to consolidate genuine democracies, to build an
inclusive human and sustainable development. Having arrived at an age dominated
by science and technology, many of us are finding that we still more or less
pursue the same careers, with science and technology as aids to perform them
more efficiently. For the more affluent among us, science and technology have
improved, but not revolutionized, our lives, providing us, perhaps, more time to
return to a simpler way of life and to restore the human touch. For the poor,
however, science and technology are likely to have a far greater impact as they
promise to provide new, important, even life-saving economic opportunities.
Madiha Tabbasam
BS English (1st Semester) Section A
International Islamic University, Islamabad