ESSAY: ROLE OF ENGINEERS IN

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

TRD2B

UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG

BY: S. MPHAKA

STUDENT NUMBER: 201407443

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

I confirm that this assignment is my own work. It is not copied from any other person's work
(published or unpublished), and has not previously been submitted for assessment in this or any
other course at this or any other university.

Signed by: Semetsa Mphaka

ROLE OF ENGINEERS IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

One can ask and try understand the role of engineers in sustainable development, although its not clear, they
play a major role. Since everything that is needed to achieve the 17 goals set out by the UN revolves around
what engineers do.
Power era is one of the main wellsprings of nursery gas discharges in most of the world. Power plants that blaze
fossil fills or materials produced using fossil energizes, and some geothermal plants force plants, are the
wellsprings of around 40% of aggregate US carbon dioxide outflows. As non-renewable wellspring of electrical
vitality turn out to be not so much rich but rather more exorbitant, the countries of the world will need to
adventure choices. [1]
Innovation is the establishment to practical improvement and reducing destitution in the creating scene. Youthful
designers hold the way to a brighter future for a huge number of individuals and can possibly help them access
water, cleaner vitality, social insurance and correspondence innovations. [2]
Manageable building is fundamental in creating nations so as to match the re-sources accessible and the
capacities of the earth with the proper innovations. With developing industrialization of creating nations it is
likewise essential to check the measure of vitality that innovation employments. Through cautious planning and
assembling, the effect on nature can be overseen, bringing about an unbiased or constructive outcome on the
utilization that innovation employments. With a specific end goal to give fundamental human needs, for example,
access to water and sanitation, social insurance furthermore in regions, for example, the formation of
occupations through enterprise, architects are key. Especially in the creating scene, the architect's part turns out
to be significantly more basic in making innovation which is proper and addresses quick issues for the long haul.
[2]
Lodging, social insurance and the production of industry are only three case of the vital part that designers can
play in bettering not just the everyday existence of individuals in creating nations, additionally setting up plans
which will keep on increasing personal satisfaction. Lodging is an essential human perfectly fine out by the
United Nations, yet 20% of the world's populace is still destitute or living in exceptionally poor conditions.
Engineers can redress this by planning sturdy lodging which can withstand, and prepare individuals to oversee,
common debacles. By applying these outlines with supportable materials and utilizing able development
methods, shanty towns can be supplanted with steady, strong lodging.
Whilst medicinal services is at the front line of giving a superior personal satisfaction in creating nations, access
to portability is a profoundly imperative, yet a regularly over-looked, variable. The individuals who experience the
ill effects of physical handicap in creating nations are, as a rule, barred from their groups and denied nuts and
bolts rights to instruction and mobility. In any case, quick advancements in portability development, on account of
spearheading engineers, implies that the lives of those in the creating scene can be tremendously moved
forward. The configuration of this innovation must be versatile and particular to the states of every environment.
Pretty much as cutting edge therapeutic gear can be futile in an unseemly setting and without the right preparing,
versatility assets must match and be viable in de-eloping groups; architects are crucial in getting this going.
Notwithstanding meeting these earnest needs, architects can be a piece of peopling in the long haul. By making
naturally solid advances and showing communities how to utilize such advances, individuals can start to help
their profitability and manageability, for instance in cultivating, whilst additionally decreasing the negative effect of
in-deserialization. [4]
Engineers without Borders is a development by youthful designers intrigued by getting this going! These
associations give the chance to get required with expert jets to propel the economic improvement and execution
of innovation in creating nations. There are numerous approaches to get included, including arrangements
abroad for a hands-on methodology, research into regions of interest and preparing through talks, occasions and
workshops. Contact your neighbourhood office about utilizing your designing aptitudes to be the change today!
[5]
As non-renewable wellsprings of electrical vitality turn out to be not so much inexhaustible but rather more
unreasonable, the countries of the world will need to endeavour options. At this moment, notwithstanding, a huge
extent of the world's power originates from generators driven by turbines that at last get their vitality from fossil-
fuel burning.
Despite the fact that coal is a non-renewable asset, a lot of regardless it dwells in the ground. In the primary
years of the twenty-first century, coal encountered a resurgence in utilization, as supplies of oil and normal gas,
alternate combustibles regularly used to produce power, developed short. Coal is not a perpetual answer for
mankind's vitality issues, but rather it's accessible for our dependable use as we work toward growing
additionally enduring options. Coal mining leaves durable scars on the scene, and can bring about overflow of
dangerous substances, for example, lead, mercury, and arsenic
The water utilized as a part of the kettle of a coal-terminated force plant collects contaminations. When this water
is supplanted, the toxins must be securely discarded, expanding the expense of operation. Moving water and air
are among the most characteristic types of option vitality. Nothing on this planet is genuinely unbounded in
supply, however the vitality accessible from these sources, in down to earth terms, approaches that perfect. Just
sun powered vitality is all the more about "unceasing." An impoundment hydroelectric force plant consists of a
dam and store. This sort of office works best in sloping spots where high dams can be assembled and profound
supplies can be kept up
Preferred standpoint of hydroelectric force plants don't create CO2, CO, NOx, SOx, particulates, ground
defilement, or waste items. Some warmth goes into the stream or waterway water as a consequence of erosion
with the turbine segments, however this is not generally noteworthy.
Water is a renewable wellspring of vitality, the length of the stream or waterway does not become scarce. The
hydrologic cycle renews the wellspring of potential vitality as precipitation, snowfall, and spill over. Rising"
nations, for example, India and China, are quickly embracing the innovations of the industrialized nations, for
example, advanced building strategies, atmosphere control frameworks, electric apparatuses and now and again
private autos
Individuals from the number of inhabitants in creating nations, either those with the most minimal per capita GDP
or else the least pay individuals from a nation, for example, India that likewise has an extensive white collar
class, are portrayed by low per-capita access to vitality furthermore low yearly earnings as far as money earned
They may thusly craving to utilize sweat value, subsistence cultivating, or noncash deal courses of action to
decrease their outpouring of money. Likewise, since these occupants may have almost no entrance to power
and just incidental access to mechanized transportation as open transports, quite a bit of their residual per-capita
vitality utilization might be as biomass (e.g., wood or excrement) utilized for cooking. By expansion, a vast
portion of the aggregate national vitality spending plan of some of the least created nations might be for cooking.
in the event that a powerful plan can be discovered, it might be beneficial in this circumstance to construct either
a vitality effective wood stove or sunlight based cooking gadget instead of spending rare money to buy a mass-
created variant in the commercial centre, notwithstanding when gadgets might be accessible at a cost. [1]
Then again, gadgets particularly intended for use in creating nations that are deliberately outlined and mass
delivered might be beneficial over the long haul, regardless of the possibility that the underlying money buy
expense is higher. Case in point, water pumping can be proficient utilizing hand or foot power, and if the
utilization of power is maintained a strategic distance from, both the money cost and the extra weight on the
national vitality spending plan is stayed away from.
1. Zero waste
Total manufacturing waste sent to landfills has decreased by 66% since 1996
 The cumulative avoided costs from waste elimination activities since 1995 have totalled over $372
million.
2. Benign emissions
Net absolute greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 82% from our 1996 baseline. 33%
from improved efficiencies, process changes, and direct renewable energy purchases.
3. Renewable energies
Total energy used at carpet manufacturing facilities (per unit of product) is down 45% since 1996.
Use of renewable energy increased to 27% in 2007.
4. Closing cycles
Re-Entry program has diverted 133 million pounds of material from landfills between 1995 and
2007.
The percentage of recycled and bio-based materials used to manufacture our products worldwide
has increased from 0.5% in 1996 to 25% in 2007.
Water intake per production unit is down 45% in broadloom facilities from 1996 due to conservation
efforts and process changes.
Water intake per production unit is down 75% in modular carpet facilities from 1996 due to
conservation efforts and process changes.
5. Sensitivity hook up
To reduce the frequency of injuries by almost 63% since 1999.
Listed above (1-5) are facts that show that the engineers have a very big impact in sustainable development.
And all the listed points show the progress that engineers have helped in. there are a lot more than one can talk
about, but overall it would not be too much to say engineers contribute plus or minus 60%-90% towards
achieving sustainable development.
Sources;
[1] World Conservation Strategy: Living Resource Conservation for Sustainable Development (PDF).
International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. 1980.

[2] www.forumforthefuture.org.uk/publications/theengineerofthe21st_page720.aspx (for The

Engineer of the 21st Century
Inquiry: Change Challenges for Sustainability, 2003)

[3]www.ice.org.uk/about_ice/aboutice_sustainability.asp (for the Institution of Civil Engineers

Environment and Sustainability
Activity)

[4]www.icheme.org/sustainability (Institution of Chemical Engineers Sustainability Metrics

indicators that can be used to measure sustainability performance of an operating unit)

[5] www.johannesburgsummit.org

[6]www.naturalstep.org.uk/uk_homepage.htm (The Natural Step provides a visionary blueprint for

a sustainable world. As an international advisory and research organization, the Natural Step
work with some of the largest resource users on the planet to create solutions, models and tools
designed to accelerate global sustainability)

[7]www.projectsigma.com (Project Sigma aims to provide clear, practical advice to organizations

to help them to manage the social, environmental and wider economic impacts of their
organizations activities and make a meaningful contribution to sustainable development).