Books published by Practical Action Publishing

Case studies from around the world examine the introduction of improved packaging technology, and there are useful lists of manufacturers and organizations which can help small businesses.

This interdisciplinary selection of 12 essays explores topics central to the education of development professionals; in particular planners, urban designers, engineers, and architects.

Renewable energy can present a baffling array of options to aid agency managers, government officials, and advisers. This publication contrasts the relative merits of biomass, solar, hydro, and wind power, as well as detailing some direct applications.

The author addresses the major areas of tension existing between headquarters and field offices, which will be familiar to those working for NGOs, including flexibility and consistency in administrative practice, diversity and similarity of NGO staff, and field-orientated and organizationally-oriented attitudes of those staff.

Urban Sanitation covers all stages of the planning process and shows how unified urban sanitation planning is a vital weapon in the war against disease. This book is for all decision makers and their advisers with a direct or indirect interest in urban sanitation. It can be used at international, national, state or provincial, municipal and local levels. It is also suitable as a text for infrastructure planning courses. The first five chapters outline the nature of urban sanitation problems, identify effective strategic responses to them and set out practical ways in which these strategic principles can be applied. Four chapters cover critical aspects of the strategic planning process: sanitation and hygiene promotion; information collection and analysis; technology choice; and participatory workshops. The final chapter provides guidance on putting the plan into action. The book goes beyond simplistic formulae to suggest ways in which formal plans, market forces and actions at the local level can be brought together to provide a viable response to sanitation problems. The approach is simple but has potential to bring about significant impacts if regularly applied by all stakeholders, from local groups through to international agencies. It draws on a wealth of field experience and in doing so provides tried and tested findings and recommendations in 32 case studies. Supplementary sections set out the links between sanitation and health, review sanitation technologies, provide information on participatory methods and detail sources of further information.

This is the first book to focus on farmer-led extension, drawing on the experiences of over 70 farmers, community workers, NGO staff, researchers and policy makers from throughout the world.

This is the first book to look at gender issues in disasters in the context of South Asia, where disasters have a crucial impact on the development process. It shows how exploring the specific capacities and vulnerabilities of men and women in disaster situations will improve the chance of success in development projects.

This book is intended as a starting point for those considering lime as a building material, and as a general reference to the broad range of uses for lime in construction. It shows how to make the best use of different types of lime, whether extracted locally or transported from further afield.

''Somesh Kumar has compiled this useful collection with the intention of promoting creativity, experimentation and growth. This is, then, a source of ideas and advice, not a set of marching orders.'' - Robert Chambers. This book combines the concept, practice and application of participatory rural appraisal (PRA) in a comprehensive manner. The author views PRA as a means of opening up new ways of approaching various problems within the development process. He defines it as a growing body of methods to enable local people to share, enhance and analyse their knowledge of life and conditions in order to plan, act, monitor and evaluate their actions. The basic premise of PRA is that poor and marginalized people are capable of analysing their own realities and that they should be enabled to do so. The book provides examples from experiences, material with directions for use, as well as possibilities for innovation. It is rich in insight from actual practice in the field, and contains useful tips on the best practices which readers and practitioners will find extremely valuable. The book is divided into four parts. Part 1 deals with the concept of participation and explores its multiple dimensions. Parts 2 and 3 deal with the methods of PRA. Each method is explained with an introduction, applications, examples, a process outlining the steps, the time and material required, and the advantages and limitations of using these methods. The final part provides a summary of the concept of PRA. Somesh Kumar joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1989, after a brief stint as a psychologist in the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. Mr. Kumar has worked in various capacities with the most backward communities in Andhra Pradesh and has implemented a number of innovative programmes including externally funded participatory development projects. He has also served as Director of the PRA Division of ActionAid India (1996-2000). As its first chief executive, he established Praxis - Institute for Participatory Practices, Patna, as a centre of excellence in participatory development. A leading PRA practitioner, he has contributed significantly to the repertoire of PRA methods. He has conducted extensive training programmes in participatory development in India and abroad for grassroots activists and senior level NGO professionals as well as for government agencies in varied fields.

Engineering in Emergencies is a hugely successful practical handbook for all relief workers involved in giving humanitarian assistance. It provides the information needed to implement an effective engineering response in the aftermath of an emergency.

This book describes wet, dry and 'old dry' processes of hot-dip galvanizing, including health and safety, principles and benefits, equipment, materials, power supply, maintenance and quality control. It covers the specification and costing for a galvanizing plant.

This book describes the stages of mulberry bush growing, silkworm egg production, silkworm rearing, silk cocoon reeling and silk fabric production. Ideal for fieldworkers, development agencies and those starting small-scale manufacture or attempting to improve or extend manufacture (Published in the Small-scale Textiles series).

The current design in this manual has evolved from the Bangladesh original into a fully portable pump with both lift and pressure capacity and is especially good for use in permeable soils where water cannot easily be distributed through channels.

Small-scale Water Supply provides non-specialists with an overview of the technologies available for water supply in low-income communities in rural areas of developing countries. Focusing chiefly on point supplies such as wells, boreholes, springs and rainwater catchment systems, the book also introduces the reader to powered pumps, water treatment and piped distribution systems. Chapters cover design capacity, sources of water, raising water, storage and water treatment. The book contains useful illustrations of each of the technologies and outline guidance on making appropriate choices between technologies. The subject of water supply is vast and this handy book shows the reader where to begin in designing water supply systems. Extensive appendices point the reader to sources of further information for each technology, both in printed form and from Internet web pages. Published in collaboration with WELL (Water and Environmental Health at London and Loughborough).''It is authoritative and detailed, but concise and very readable, offering clearguidance to lay and specialist readers alike.''Sandy Cairncross, Professor of Environmental Health, London School of Hygieneand Tropical Medicine

An introduction to small-scale non-ferrous casting. Includes step-by-step instructions on how to make equipment using local materials; and provides information on moulding techniques, pattern making, core making, the use of wax and metal preparation.

This second edition of the classic title on practical energy provision for isolated houses and remote locations has now been updated with a new chapter. Pumps as Turbine is a practical handbook for engineers and technicians involved in designing and installing small water-power schemes.