Topic: Harnessing Science and Technology to address Development Challenges
Country: Nepal
Delegate Name: Scott Lenkart
School: Mattawan High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Nepal position papers GLIMUN 2013 committees
Science and technology have demonstrated the capability to transform the way the world interacts. Instant communication has lead to globalization and cultural diffusion. Many cultures are becoming influenced by more developed regions and are adopting commodities like cell phones. The rise in technology contributes directly to a rise in literacy rate. Literacy rate has been proven to increase life expectancy. From this connection, we can draw that a more educated and technologically advanced society will have a higher standard of living than those less developed.
Nepal has struggled with developing infrastructure to support the technological boom that has taken place in other nations. 7% of the population lives in almost inaccessible mountainous regions, connected to urban centers only by sparse, rugged roads. Education for men and women is only consistent in urban centers. Some efforts are underway to build roads and improve the education system in these rural areas, where 85% of the population lives. This percentage of the population depends largely on subsistence farming, and many can’t produce enough to feed themselves. 30% of children under the age of 5 are underweight; in the mountainous regions that number can be upwards of 60%.
Scientific innovation and education of Nepalese in the STEM fields can only be achieved with infrastructure improvement and outside funding. In its current state, Nepal does not have the resources to develop or supply technology. Only 2% of the population has access to the internet. This makes the development goals of some other nations too lofty for Nepal to achieve. Scientific agricultural advances, like hybrid seed corn, have been applied to rural areas with mixed results. If more of these technologies could be utilized to help the population feed themselves, the development could be worthwhile. Nepal requires assistance in the form of educated manpower and funding to apply technologies to the rural population. This can only be done with roads to transport this funding and manpower.
