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Technological Innovation and Developmental Strategies for Sustainable Management of Aquatic Resources in Developing Countries

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Abstract

Sustainable use and allocation of aquatic resources including water resources require implementation of ecologically appropriate technologies, efficient and relevant to local needs. Despite the numerous international agreements and provisions on transfer of technology, this has not been successfully achieved in developing countries. While reviewing some challenges to technological innovations and developments (TID), this paper analyzes five TID strategic approaches centered on grassroots technology development and provision of localized capacity for sustainable aquatic resources management. Three case studies provide examples of successful implementation of these strategies. Success requires the provision of localized capacity to manage technology through knowledge empowerment in rural communities situated within a framework of clear national priorities for technology development.

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Acknowledgments

Much of this work has been inspired through my participation as an invited early career speaker at the 17th Asian Symposium on Ecotechnology on November 11–13, 2010 at Unazuki International Hall “Selene,” Kurobe, Japan, and open discussions with lecturers and speakers, particularly with the works of Dipak Gyawali and M.S Swaminathan. I have enjoyed a fellowship support from the United Nations University Institute for Advanced Study on Sustainability (UNU IAS), Japan.

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Correspondence to Julius Ibukun Agboola.

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Agboola, J.I. Technological Innovation and Developmental Strategies for Sustainable Management of Aquatic Resources in Developing Countries. Environmental Management 54, 1237–1248 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-014-0358-z

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