Jean-Claude Bolay

Metropolization and the ecological crisis : Precarious settlements in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

This paper describes two experiences with community-led upgrading programmes in precarious settlements in Ho Chi Minh City and discusses how and why these are more effective and appropriate than the city’s “redevelopment” and relocation programmes. Although rapid economic growth has meant improved material conditions for much of the city’s population, it has also had a negative impact on the environment and on the poorer groups whose living conditions are deteriorating, especially in the precarious settlements on vacant lots, along canals and on the city outskirts. The city has plentiful water, but large sections of the population are not reached by piped water and sewers. Although relocation programmes are better managed here than in most cities, many who are relocated suffer a drop in income, a steep rise in housing costs and a disruption to their social networks. The paper ends with some reflections on the changes needed in government attitudes towards citizens.

Sustainable development and urban growth: Precarious habitat and water management in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Abstract Vietnam is still today one of the poorest countries in the world. For some years now, it has nonetheless represented a pole of economic development in South East Asia, thanks to a government policy of liberalisation of production facilities. Economic expansion results in an annual growth rate of the Gross National Product of more than 8%, and a metropolitan concentration of activities (Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) accounting for 30% of foreign investment and Hanoi 14%). Within this framework, Vietnamese cities are confronted with extremely serious problems connected with population increase and degradation of natural resources. Ho Chi Minh City, the metropolis of South Vietnam, has more than 5 million inhabitants. Economic expansion is marked by the establishment of a great many industrial, commercial and service companies. Another aspect of urban reality, the population density is very high (more than 23,000 inhabitants per square kilometre), working-class housing conditions are of very low quality and public networks do not meet the populations needs. Research is currently being carried out by the Environmental Committee of HCMC and the EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) in order to establish the relationship between development of the precarious habitat and pollution of the urban water supply. An initial observation may be made: Water represents a key element in the development of HCMC. The city is intersected by canals and rivers, used as a dumping ground for all the industrial and domestic waste, a dwelling place for the most destitute families (makeshift housing on piles), traffic routes for waterway transport and market gardening areas. The question of water utilisation arises because the level of contamination recorded, whether in the conveyance circuit, its domestic use or at the drainage stage, exceeds generally accepted hygiene standards, and constitutes a risk for the populations health. It is essential that measures should be taken, particularly in the precarious habitat areas where the population lives at the limit of absolute poverty. According to the survey conducted on the basis of 600 households in two working-class areas, 42% of the active population have unofficial jobs, and the average monthly household income is in the order of 12 US dollars. Under conditions such as these, it is extremely difficult for families to invest in housing and improving the environment. Innovative forms of dialogue between public authorities, the peoples committees which exist in each subdistrict and the population must form the basis of simple solutions aimed at the creation of jobs and the rehabilitation of these areas.

Electrification of isolated areas by interconnecting renewable sources: a sustainable approach

The Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, the Hassan II Institute of Agronomics and Veterinary Science (IAV), and Targa-Aid association undertook a joint project to develop a technique for producing electrical energy from renewable primary energy sources to supply small networks of isolated consumers. Specific attention was paid to sustainable development issues, namely, the integration of social, environmental, and technical components. The project was carried out in the Ouneine Valley (Morocco). The project aimed to implement a technical transfer program and to improve the populations ability to absorb innovations such as rural electrification by isolated micro-grid. In seven selected villages the infrastructures for the network connections were successfully implemented through a participatory process. The project also comprised a research component aimed at gaining an understanding of the interfaces between the technical and sociological levels. It was felt that such an understanding was critical to the implementation of local development projects.

What sustainable development for the cities of the South? Urban issues for a third millennium

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – proclaimed in the year 2000 and aimed at guiding the planets management and its priorities for the next 15 years – were widely based on the concept of ‘sustainable development’. This concept will be once again broadly discussed in 2012 on the occasion of the United Nations Rio+20 Summit. It will be an opportunity to decipher to what extent the city, as much from a spatial as from a societal point of view, is a stakeholder in such debate. After analysing the various interpretations of the concept of ‘sustainable development’, this article questions its implementation within the framework of the MDGs and the role assigned to urban actions. Due to its complexity and in spite of its economic and demographic prevalence, urbanism has been bypassed by a number of international global initiatives launched to date. A series of options have been proposed to finally give the city the high profile it deserves in any sustainable development analysis, aiming as much at the urbanistic and material production as at the social and economic balance of its inhabitants.

The Link with a Home Country

The benefits that highly skilled migrants can bring to their home countries are increasingly regarded as being important for development, and consequently, many countries are now looking to take advantage of the experiences of their diasporas. The policies of home countries are usually given a position of prominence whenever diaspora engagement is on the agenda. Nevertheless, migrants who have successfully settled in their host country are in the best position to contribute to their country of origin. Therefore, the institutional environment and policies of the host countries play an equally significant role with regard to the opportunities that diasporas have in terms of gaining relevant expertise and being able to mobilise. This paper looks at host country environments in several European countries, and its aim is to identify good practices of enabling policies to get skilled diasporas involved in the socio-economic development of their home countries. The paper is based on a comprehensive policy review of France, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland with respect to their migration and development nexus and on in-depth interviews with key experts in this field. In addition, it provides first-hand information on the subject from skilled Indians in Europe. India is often cited as a positive example of a country that has benefited from skilled migration through reverse investment flows and the world’s highest transfers of remittances and expertise. While several Indian diaspora knowledge networks are present in the USA, we know relatively little about the activities of Indian professionals in Europe. Until recently the countries of continental Europe barely existed on the map of mobile Indian professionals. Therefore, this paper seeks to fill two gaps in the existing literature: first of all, it examines the conditions of Indian professionals in new destination countries, and secondly, it explores the impact of structural differences between host countries and their ability to provide a fruitful environment for diaspora engagement in home-country development.

Scientific diasporas as development partners

Preface by Jean-Baptiste Meyer Skilled migrants from Colombia, India and South Africa in Switzerland: empirical evidence and policy responses Over the last two decades, globalisation has accelerated international migration fl ows, particularly of skilled labour. Yet increasing migration by skilled workers from developing countries (“brain drain”) has raised serious concerns internationally about the adverse development impact on their countries of origin. This book, however, highlights the positive aspects of skilled labour migration as scientifi c diasporas are playing a growing role in the transfer of technology, skills and knowledge (“brain gain”) to their home countries. This is a very signifi cant development in a globalised world where science, technology and knowledge can trigger economic and social transformations. The book presents solid empirical evidence of the contributions scientifi c diasporas make to their countries of origin, based on primary surveys of skilled migrants from Colombia, India and South Africa employed in Switzerland, a major destination country. The fi ndings lead to a better understanding of the motives for migration, the profi le of the scientifi c diaspora communities in Switzerland, and the varied ways in which they help their home countries. The book makes a signifi cant contribution to the international policy debate and dialogue on migration and development. In particular, it shows how to leverage the potential of scientifi c diasporas as agents of home country development, by identifying good practices and offering specifi c recommendations for the countries of origin and of destination. GABRIELA TEJADA is a scientifi c collaborator at Cooperation@epfl at the EPFL, where she is responsible for ongoing research into scientifi c diasporas. She has a Ph.D. in Political Sciences and has worked as a consultant for UNCTAD and UNDP. She took part in the Global Migration Perspective Series of the Global Commission on International Migration (GCIM) and was an international delegate at the 3rd Global Forum for Migration and Development. She has undertaken research into skilled migration and scientifi c diasporas, studying countries such as Colombia, South Africa, India, Mexico and Moldova.

Technologies for Development. What is Essential

Technological innovation is vital for finding solutions to key challenges the world is facing. Climate change, pollution, disease, rising inequalities, and chronic poverty all need to be addressed. We need renewable energy sources, efficient transport networks, functioning public health systems, well-designed infrastructure, improved agricultural systems, and access to quality education for everyone. Technologies for development play a key role as pathways to sustainable development. Developing and emerging countries can take advantage of technological leapfrogging in key domains such as health (mHealth), energy (solar, wind, and hydropower), education (massive open online courses [MOOCs]), urban development (smart cities), and agriculture (precision farming). Developing and emerging countries could even surpass high-income countries in the use of information and communication technology (ICTs). We can expect technological innovation to be increasingly developed in the Global South and to become a source of inspiration for the Global North. Living labs, open-source, and open innovation movements are growing trends that will support and accelerate the development of effective technologies.

Technologies and Innovations for Development

Technological innovation – combined with scientific research – has always constituted a driving force of transformation in our societies. At the same time, it is no longer simply possible to transfer technologies from the North to the South; it is also essential to consider technical innovations that are adapted to the social, environmental, cultural and economic conditions of receiving countries, and which can be appropriated by their potential users and as such prove to be real technologies for fostering development. The first International Scientific Conference on the topic organized by the UNESCO Chair Technologies for Development at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in 2010 focused on its four priority sectors: Technologies for Sustainable Development of Habitat and Cities, ICTs for the Environment, Science and Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction, and Technologies for the Production of Sustainable Energy. This volume reflects the main outcomes of the conference and provides some significant orientation and success criteria for the effective implementation and use of innovative technologies, their aims, their particular applications in the context of developing countries, their accessibility for users, and their appropriation by producers and stakeholders in the field of development both in the North and South, thus ensuring their sustainability. This kind of scientific cooperation also highlights the added values for northern researchers in sharing their knowledge and know-how, leading to a real win-win partnership. The authors gathered within this book include representatives from academic and research institutions and other organizations from diverse countries and offer a significant synergy of competences, approaches and disciplines.

Planning and Land Policy Tools for Limiting Urban Sprawl: The Example of Belgrade

Both the characteristics of Serbia’s urban land policy, the delay in reforms and land development management of the Belgrade Metropolitan Area (BMA) illustrate the complexities following the reshaping of institutional framework under the conditions of economic and other uncertainties of societal transition. The negative implications of the prolonged crisis on the new urban development policy and urban land tools can postpone the establishment and application of guidelines for limiting the urban sprawl. This paper presents a brief literature review, as well as the current urban land policy and land-use efficiency in the BMA. Traditional urban land tools will be shortly described, followed by recommendations for limiting sprawl. There is a need for readjusting the current planning and urban policy regarding the urban sprawl, from an urban “command-and-control” approach to a “learn-and-adapt” approach. We suggest the introduction of more innovative and flexible urban land policy tools.

Technologies and Partnerships

Appropriate technologies are technologies that are socially, culturally, environmentally and economically accepted by the stakeholders. It is necessary, therefore, to develop appropriate technologies in partnership with researchers, government agencies, and industry. It is essential that this be done in a process of co-creation with the beneficiaries. The development of appropriate technologies must also include the appropriate strategy to implement and maintain them. Innovative technologies have a central role to play in the effort to alleviate poverty in this world, which today is still overwhelming, with 20 % of the world population living on less than US