Intermediate technology

Intermediate technology, also called appropriate technology, uses equipment and techniques suited to local needs, resources and skills. The aim is not simply to use the cheapest equipment: it is to choose something that people can operate, maintain and repair.

A useful approach is intermediate technology: equipment and methods that suit local resources and skills. In remote villages in Nepal, communities build and maintain micro-hydro schemes. These small schemes generate electricity from flowing water, allowing activities such as studying after dark and using communications technology.

Intermediate technology means technology appropriate to a community's needs, wealth and resources. It does not mean that all equipment must be basic. The key question is whether people can afford, operate and maintain it over time.