When planning for development in third world countries, the highest priority should be given to (1) the degree to which traditional patterns of land occupation meet inhabitants' needs, and (2) the possibilities of alternative settlement patterns guaranteeing better living conditions and more efficiency in the population's interrelated activities.…

The paper explores how continuously expanding world demand for food, feed, and fuel is generating pressure to restructure agricultural land use. In addition, problems related to transfer of agricultural crop land to energy crops are discussed. The technology of energy crops has developed to the point where large-scale commercial production of…

This manual, developed by the Agency for International Development and used by the Peace Corps, explains how to build homes made of earth. Information came from reports, books, and articles from many countries, coupled with research by soil engineers at Texas A & M University. It is presented in the most nontechnical format possible. The…

This report illustrates the method, called the "SfB System," recommended in an earlier publication by this organization, for systematization of building projects. The aim of the report is to show how to arrange information on building elements and building construction for clear definition of the parts to be built and for easy…

This booklet is one of five in the Peace Corps (PC) Programming and Training Guidelines collection that provides agency-wide programming and training (P&T) guidance for PC staff and project partners. It incorporates topics from previous booklets--how to design or revise a project, how to integrate the PC's cross-cultural goals, and how to…

This manual is intended for use by development workers involved in the construction of wells to supply water to a local population for personal consumption. Discussed first are the basic points to consider when planning a well. Various aspects of constructing hand-dug wells are explained, including well design, supplies, the lowering and raising…

This manual, developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Point Four program, presents critical features and principles of using bamboo as a building material. Information provided in the manual includes the following: parts of a house for which bamboos are suitable, bamboo reinforcement of concrete, geographical distribution of…

This manual is designed to assist Peace Corps field workers who have little or no construction experience in helping communities or families to construct one-story buildings. Discussed in a chapter on basic planning and design are site and position; size, shape, and floor plan; and construction materials. The next chapter is a detailed examination…

This activity is one of a series of 17 teacher-developed instructional activities for geography at the secondary-grade level described in SO 009 140. The activity investigates economic change in developing nations. It employs the dialogue approach. Given data about the Aswan High Dam in Egypt and about the environment of northeast Africa, students…