Indicators of sustainability: assessing the suitability of a foreign technology for a developing economy

Some of the primary objectives for importing foreign technology into developing economies are to provide essential amenities like potable water, stable electrical supply, and functional communication and health facilities. It is also aimed at improving the industrial development bases in order to achieve technological advancement. However, historical trends bear witness to the fact that a majority of these efforts by the governments of developing countries have failed because such technologies are not sustainable. This paper identifies a number of indices that decision makers can use to assess the suitability of a foreign technology being considered for import into the local economy and its likely sustainability over the long term. By identifying and examining sustainability factors in relation to the socio-political contexts of a specific culture and its techno-economic level of development, and by considering such factors in the decision-making process, the selection of appropriate technologies can be greatly enhanced and the enormous waste of economic resources can be avoided.