Topic A: Discussing the Effectiveness of Frugal Innovation in Developing Countries
The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieving prosperity and longevity for all. According to the World Bank’s Open Data, the poverty headcount ratio, illiteracy rates, unavailability of healthcare services, and various indices, have all declined drastically throughout the years, indicating apparent economic development world-wide. Advancements in technology are leading in reality, where access to the Internet is increasing, renewable energy is improving and Moore’s Law is still standing. However in recent years, a trade-off between economic growth and equality has been noted, where those more skilled, educated and modernized have advanced, as they have had more opportunities to utilize than less fortunate countries (further increasing the inequality gap). Take in the Silicon Valley’s outpouring of inventions in comparison to Sub-Saharan Africa’s access to electricity (where 7 out of 10 people do not have access to electricity), in order for Sub-Saharan Africa to match the Valley’s level of education and advancement a tremendous amount of aid and trade would be needed, which realistically is unavailable due to various economic, social and political factors. Therefore, a step towards improvement is always encouraged, and this is what gives frugal innovation its weight. Frugal innovation or frugal engineering is the process of simplifying components of a good/service or reducing its complexity of production, in order to make goods more affordable and cost effective. With a frugal course of action developing countries thrive in convenience, as a greater availability of resources and goods, produces a chain effect of prosperity and growth. Though many argue that holding a responsibility of frugal development may hinder developed countries’ growth, therefore delegates must discuss to what extent frugal innovation should or should not be used as a means of development, and if so under what guidelines should frugal innovation be carried out.
Topic B: Recognizing and Combating the Effects of Urbanization and Urban Road Congestion on the Quality of Civic Life
Every world population demographic indicates a growing populace, where cities continue to grow and develop by the day. According to ECOSOC’s Sustainable Urbanization sheet, currently more than half the world’s population lives in urban areas and by 2050 the figure is expected to reach 70%, as people are drawn to the city-life and its opportunities. Unquestionably, effective transportation networks are an essential contributing factor in urban sustainability, as they make cities more livable and accessible. Though in recent years, the rapid growth of urban civil vehicles has lead to overloaded roads and intolerable levels of traffic congestion. Such conditions have lead to restricted movement (disrupting business arrangements), sluggish and time-consuming journeys, regressing travel conditions, and restrained urban improvement. Unfortunately, concerned countries are stumped over determining which congestion management policies are the most ideal in combating this issue. The unfamiliarity with Braess’s Paradox (an observation where adding one or more roads to a road network may slow down overall traffic flow) and framing the issue as solely a traffic engineering one are two of the many major complications regarding implementations of traffic congestion management policies. Therefore, delegates must discuss alternatives and new strategies that should be implemented to settle this concern, and discuss procedures needed for other government entities and branches to be more involved.