Though hardly known to the general public, environmental technologies, products and services have, in 20 years, grown to match the aerospace and pharmaceutical industries in size — a US$ 450 billion global market in 2000. By 2010 it is expected to expand to US$ 640 billion. Developing and emerging markets represent over 15% of this total.

The overall environmental software market was estimated at about US$ 1.8 billion in 1995, of which US$ 1.14 billion for consulting and services. So what IT tools does a consulting engineer in a developing country need to compete in the market for environmental engineering services? This article provides a quick checklist.

Modern consumer packaging, designed to present well-protected and undamaged goods for display and sale on store shelves, may not be practical in countries such as Zimbabwe, where bar-code readers are as yet mostly absent from the retail system. Additional handling, with resultant damage to the product and its packaging, may therefore occur, as package units have to be individually priced before transfer to the display shelves. This means that the local manufacturers often prefer more robust packaging, which is also, as a rule, less attractive and more expensive.

India’s Department of Science and Technology, in collaboration with a public-sector unit, initiated a pilot project on Integrated Waste Management (IWM) in Mumbai. A prototype fuel “pelletization” plant was engineered, procured and erected with entirely indigenous inputs.

Value-added wood exports have a bright future. The value of further-processed wood exports from producer countries of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) totalled just under US$ 4.2 billion in 1996–1997, the highest points recorded in COMTRADE statistics so far. The following year (1998) saw a 17% drop to US$ 3.5 billion. Despite the lack of comprehensive data for 1999, it is believed that exports stabilized in most countries. Some reported vigorous export growth during 1999-2000.