Practical Action Publishing
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10 Lessons in Localisation
Many, if not most, international NGOs say they want to ‘localise’, to promote greater leadership and delivery by local and national actors. But are they serious and do they know how to do it? This book presents ten lessons on localisation from the author’s 25 year career to date, working in and o...
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Design calculations for the civil works and the practical implementations for an 8 kW - to 22 kW - upgrade of a micro hydropower run-off river scheme in Nepal
This paper comprises the implementation of: 'Two Ideas to Regain the Power Otherwise Lost in Run-off River Schemes with Elevated Powerhouses', a Practical Answers paper published by Practical Action Publishing in 2025.
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Two Ideas to Regain the Power Otherwise Lost in Run-off River Schemes with Elevated Powerhouses
For run-off schemes, floods often require powerhouses to be set back from the riverbanks. This raising of the level of the powerhouse frequently curtails much of the potential head. Two low-cost proposals for such run-off schemes are presented. One proposal is a draft tube combined with a longitudin...
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The Congress of the Disappeared
‘They came from all corners of the country. At last the Brazil of the disappeared revealed itself.’ In Kucinski’s novella, the ghosts of those disappeared by Brazil’s military dictatorship come together and organize a congress. Together, these ghosts tell the story of what happened to them, refle...
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Lessons from the Zapatistas
Lia Pinheiro Barbosa, Peter M Rosset, Henry Veltmeyer
Lessons from the Zapatistas is essential reading for anyone interested in liberation, democracy and radical social transformation. It tells the story of the Zapatista insurgency and its afterlives, tracing how an Indigenous uprising burst forth from southern Mexico’s Lacandon Jungle to stage the 21s...
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Successful Distribution Models for Clean Cookstoves
Drawing on ten case studies in Africa, Asia and Latin America, an expert workshop and a literature review this study outlines key lessons for the establishment of last mile distribution chains for clean cookstoves.
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School Buildings in Developing Countries
Building schools is a significant area of construction activity in many developing countries. This document explains some issues relating to planning and construction at low cost.
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Seed Fairs
Seed Fairs are specialised markets in villages or communities where seeds are traded. Selling seeds this way ensures they are readily available to local farmers, of a relevant variety and enables knowledge sharing between farmers.
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Uzalishaji Wa Mboji Katika Jamii
James Atherton, Jackie Kearney, Paulinho Muzaliwa
This illustrated guide explores how to establish composting at community scale, to build soil health, cycle 'waste', and grow community cohesion. Re-Alliance is a coalition of field practitioners, policymakers, educators, community leaders and humanitarian and development workers, sharing skills an...
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Ten Rules for Energy-Efficient, Cost-Effective Brick Firing
Rules for brickmakers and field-workers to increase the efficiency of the brick-firing process.