A Lecture worthy of Charles Cooper

On 20th February more than 150 Maastricht University students, international scholars and members of the public were treated to a captivating lecture by Dr. Shyama Ramani on “the economics of toilets in India.”

In the best storytelling tradition, Dr. Ramani delivered a lively mix of anedcotes and insightful analysis of the complex interplay of economic, political, historical and cultural factors that have contributed to a preventable public health crisis in a technologically sophisticated country.

Arguing that any realistic solution would need to tap into the neglected and ‘invisible market’ at the bottom of the income pyramid, Dr. Ramani narrated her own experiences in working with an Indian community after the 2004 Tsunami to develop and diffuse locally appropriate and culturally acceptable sanitation technologies.

In their responses, UNU-MERIT research collaborators Dick Nelson (Columbia University, USA), Suma Athreye (Brunel University, UK) and Shulin Gu (Tsinghua University, China) said the lecture was an apt homage to the pioneering work of UNU-INTECH (now UNU-MERIT) founding director Charles Cooper.

More information: Lecture slides

Source: UNU-MERIT