Jong-Moon Jang

Utilizing Appropriate Technology for Development Cooperation with Africa

Africa has received the greatest amount of aid and yet its effects on poverty reduction are meager, especially in the areas of agriculture, energy, water and sanitation. Little improvement in agricultural productivity and post-harvest loss in addition to climate change risks threaten Africas food security. Africa is also faced with an energy crisis that challenges the health and environmental conditions, especially in the rural areas. Lack of access to clean water and sanitation facilities is one of the main causes in the expansion of preventable diseases. Recent developments in understanding the need for appropriate technology to be localized and user-friendly provide development opportunities for rural Africa where barriers to building large-scale infrastructures are many. In this context, Korea could increase development aid efficiency by utilizing appropriate technology through the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) model and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) approach.

The Role of International Development Finance Institutions in Financing Infrastructure in Africa and Its Implications for Korea

This study surveys the types and amount of financial resources that multilateral and bilateral DFIs provide for Africa, and makes an in-depth analysis of major projects in Africa financed by them. Moreover, this study explores how Korean ECAs and investors collaborate with international financial institutions to provide increased funding for Africas infrastructure development projects.

Trends in the African Construction/Plant Building Market and Implications for Korea

Africa is the poorest continent in the world in terms of public infrastructure. In any country with functioning public infrastructure, and roads form the backbone of transportation; responsible for the 80-90% of movements of people and goods. In Africa, however, only 20% or so of existing roads have been paved. The vast majority of existing railways was laid during the colonial era and is now obsolete, unable to function properly. Much of its port and airport facilities are similarly outdated, becoming, in effect, the major obstacle to the continents economic development. Particularly conspicuous as well is the absence of proper electricity infrastructure. Almost 800 million Africans live in the sub-Saharan region, but the aggregate power generation capacity of the region lags behind the capacity of Spain (with a population of 45 million). If South Africa is not counted in with sub-Saharan Africa, the regions power capacity is lowered to the level of Argentina. Nearly a quarter of the existing power facilities are out of order and obsolete. Thirty or so African countries, therefore, experience power outages on a daily basis with serious economic losses as a consequence.