KATHMANDU, Jan. 28 (Nepal Foreign Affairs)—A competition was recently held in Ireland with a slogan – “Where there is no Engineer – Designing for Community Resilience” in view of providing economic support to the earthquake victims in Nepal.
Around 300 students from various engineering colleges and universities in Ireland took part in the competition on Jan. 19 in Ireland.
Some of the projects demonstrated in the competition including the wind energy mobile charger, water filtering machines for remote villages, electricity generation from wood fire in addition to building earthquake resistant houses, said Deepesh Man Shakya, the President of Nepal Ireland Society.
Engineers Without Borders (EWB)-Ireland and Development Technology in the Community (DTC) Research Group jointly organised the competition. The initiative was funded by Irish Aid and delivered in partnership with EWB-Ireland, Concern Worldwide, Nepal Ireland Society and Engineers Ireland.
According to the organizer, the overall winner has the opportunity to travel to Nepal to experience firsthand challenges faced by local communities in earthquake-hit areas. “By participating in the program, students and professionals will have the opportunity to design creative solutions to real life development projects,” said Declan Alcock, Director of EWB-Ireland.
Irish Deputy Prime Minister Joan Burton had inaugurated the competition in Dublin at Dublin Institute of Technology on Tuesday. The inauguration ceremony was followed by the Nepali Cultural program.
“We specifically focused on the transitional period between ‘temporary shelter and semi-permanent house’, and discussed the differences between temporary and permanent housing concepts. We gradually add alternative techniques and materials to the designs. During the course we introduce unconventional materials in order to create enthusiasm and awareness about alternative construction techniques and the need for sustainable solutions,” DTC research group has stated on its website.