Sustainable poverty alleviation—changing role for engineers Available to Purchase

A significant proportion of volunteer engineers are involved with poverty alleviation in the developing world. Such work invariably involves a contribution from professional engineers, whether voluntary or otherwise. However, there is an increasing danger of using good engineering to support poor policy. The role of engineers is important, but they must work in collaboration with other professionals if long-lasting solutions are to be achieved. As illustrated by the case studies in this paper, sustained alleviation of poverty through implementation of infrastructure solutions requires careful attention to underlying social, economic and political influences.