Designs On Poverty (Nepali Wire Bridge)

I found very interesting information about the Nepali Wire Bridges a quite simple technology which has been using in Nepal for long time ago. Some the developing countries like Nepal does not have all modern technology facilities. David Armstrong writes his view on Forbes online News article “Design on Poverty” that village Internet kiosks, rural wireless networks and solar-powered electricity generation all have been touted as high-tech salvation for those living in poverty. But for the poorest of the poor, getting online market quotes or wireless access takes a backseat to simply increasing income from daily labour. A growing cadre of designers is creating smart, cheap, low-tech devices that can often provide a more immediate boost out of the poverty trap.
He also shows how Nepalese people are using simple wire as a bridge to cross the hilly areas’ river. In Nepal some 12 million people live in the foothills of the Himalayas above rivers that swell unpredictably during the monsoon season, cutting them off from the villages, markets and schools below because there is not good bridge and other facilities like Ropeway, Bridge, it is hard to use boat especially in monsoon.

Solution: A for-profit company in Nepal, Ecosystems helps villagers build wire bridges that function like ski lifts, are operated from either side of a river and can safely carry 550 pounds. The group has built 29 bridges so far, and there have been an estimated 1.6 million trips and no accidents, a far better safety record than that of traditional rope bridges. This wire bridge could cost US $15,000 to fully operate.