A Study on Institutional Set-up Assistance and Consensus Building of Labour Based Technology (LBT) for Community Development in Post Conflict Countries

Abstract

Labour intensive construction methodology using local labour has been adopted in various regions in Japan since early times, as seen in the existence of terms such as michibushin (road maintenance by the community), and it contributed to the creation of jobs in the post-war period through “the make work road repair program” of relief measures for the unemployed. Since the late 1960s, Labour Based Technology (LBT) has attracted attention as a technology for infrastructure construction in developing countries, with research and pilot projects conducted by the World Bank (WB).

Research conducted up to the early 1970s led to the recognition that many LBT projects were comparatively more advantageous than Equipment Based Technology (EBT), both technologically and economically. Subsequently, LBT was gradually introduced in developing countries, and many LBT technical manuals and handbooks have been prepared by the International Labour Organization (ILO), other international institutions and government agencies in order to summarize successful LBT case studies.

For a project implementation method, LBT emphasizes the participation of local people facing poverty in communities experiencing the greatest need of infrastructure. LBT is an effective method for recovering and promoting secure communities in developing countries, and particularly in post-conflict countries. In this context, this study examines LBT approach with a focus on regional society and local communities in post-conflict countries.

Throughout literature reviews and site surveys for post-conflict countries, the objectives of this study were: (1) to assist institutional set-up and consensus building of local communities; (2) to establish an effective approach for introducing LBT in post-conflict and developing countries such as Afghanistan.