The Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI) is a parastatal that conducts research and develops technologies to address national priorities. Some of its focus areas include developing affordable building materials from local resources like Kgalagadi sand, clean coal technologies, and climate change decision support tools. BITRI collaborates with other organizations to achieve its mandate. Previously, the Rural Industries Innovation Centre (RIIC) was responsible for appropriate technology development and conducted research in areas such as agriculture, energy, and rural industries to improve livelihoods. It developed technologies like the Sebele Standard Planter and Rim Oven. The Botswana Technology Centre (BOTEC) also researches and develops technologies adapted to local conditions

1. The Botswana Institute for
Technology Research and
Innovation( BITRI) The Botswana Institute for Technology Research and
Innovation (BITRI) is a parastatal under the Ministry of
Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology.
 It was established in 2012, to conduct needs-based
research and development in focused areas.
 The mandate of BITRI is to identify, develop and/or adapt
appropriate technology solutions that provides sustainable
innovative solutions through co-creation and collaboration
in line with national priorities and needs of Batswana.

2. ( BITRI) cont.
 The technologies will as much as possible maximize
the use of local materials to ensure efficiency and
affordability.
 BITRI will harness its institutional capacity as well as
collaborate with other organizations and institutions.

3. Kgalagadi Sand Building
Block/Brick (KSBB)
Technology
Research by BITRI has shown that Kgalagadi sand
covering up to 75% of Botswana, is a very abundant
resource. One of the goals of the Botswana Government
is to sustainably improve the lives of all Batswana and
with the high costs of construction materials, there is
need to make use of the vast Kgalagadi Sand resource.
The BITRI Building Materials Team is making use of a
technology to develop the Kgalagadi Sand Building Block
and rolling out the less expensive but high quality product
with much higher strength as a useful construction
material.

4. Example of Kgalagadi
bricks

5. Coal Beneficiation
 BITRI intends to engage in research on Clean Coal
Technologies and energy efficiency.
 Apart from clean coal technologies they want to use
coal to produce fuels.

6. Climate Change Decision
Support Stimulation Tools
 BITRI Climate Scientists are working in collaboration
with Botswana College of Agriculture on the project.
 They want to develop decision support simulation
tools based on scientifically validated
indigenous/traditional and conventional knowledge for
increasing agricultural production and food security in
Africa in the context of a changing climate.

7. Rural Industries Innovation
Centre (RIIC)
 Before BITRI was formed RIIC was responsible for the
development and dissemination of appropriate technology in
Botswana.
 The main aim or goal of RIIC was to improve the living standards
of the people in rural areas through the development and
provision of appropriate technology.
 RIIC carried out research and develops programmes in many
fields or areas of studies.
 These areas included solar energy and wind energy.
 RIIC also carried out research in the field of agriculture ranging
from planters to sorghum threshers, mini-silos, chaff cutters,
peanut shellers, sorghum dehullers and hammer mills.

8. Rural Industries Innovation
Centre (RIIC) cont.
 RIIC also operated a Village Skills Training
Programme (VSTP) which provided training to
entrepreneurs and equipped them with skills for
productive employment..
 Farming implements such as ploughs and planters
developed by RIIC were simple, cheap and easy to
use; therefore they were suited to local conditions
because most of the users were subsistence farmers
who lacked capital and modern farming skills.

9. Sebele Standard
Planter
 This was a low-cost planter which was initiated by RIIC after
realising that subsistence farmers in Botswana need to improve
their farming methods.
 The technology to make this planter was from RIIC and
commercial manufacturers were contracted to make it.
 Sebele Standard Planter was ideally suitable for small
subsistence farmers who wished to improve their agricultural
production.
 The planter was light but very strong, easy to use and it was also
trouble-free to maintain. Spare parts could easily be obtained
from RIIC at an affordable price. Its special features included,
among others;

10. Sebele Standard
Planter
Its special features include, among others;
 Gentle positive feed with wavy edge agitator
 Feed to seed spout clearly visible
 Special steel blade opener for hard soil
 Adjustable front clevis hitch for depth control
 With such technological development, it was hoped that the subsistence farmers, who
are the majority in rural areas, would increase their out-put.
 This would enable them to feed their families and probably sell some extra crops or
surplus to get the much needed cash.
 Let us look at another example which shows the contribution of RIIC in technological
development in the country. This time, we will look at Rim Oven

11. Rim Oven
 Like Sebele Standard Planter, Rim Oven is the brain
child of RIIC.
 The Rim Oven is made from two truck wheel rims
welded together.
 It stands on three legs and has a hinged steel door.
 The outer casing and chimney are made from mud
and brick, which maximises its efficiency.
 Inside, there are two baking shelves.

12. Rim Oven Cont.
 The special features include the following among
others;
 It uses firewood, so it is suitable for use in rural areas
 It can bake a batch of nine (9) loaves in an hour
 It can easily be constructed on site by the
entrepreneur
 This technology is very easy to use and inexpensive.
Therefore, the Rim Oven is ideal or suitable for use in
small bakeries especially in rural areas.

13. Bio-gas technology
 This technology is relevant to Botswana because it
uses cow dung which is found in large quantities
because there are many cattle in Botswana

14. Solar water heater
 RIIC had developed the solar water heater technology
which converts solar energy into electricity.
 This electricity was relevant to Botswana because the
country lies in the tropics where there is plenty of sunshine.
 In addition, this technology is cost effective, easy to use
and repair, and is thus relevant to the country.
 This helped to reduce dependence on the environment for
fuel wood which often involves the cutting down of trees,
thus leading to environmental degradation.

15. Solar cookers and
bakers
 The solar cookers and bakers developed by RIIC
converted the sun's energy into electricity which is in
plentiful supply in tropical countries such as
Botswana.
 This technology was cheap and easy to use and
repair. This also helped to reduce dependence on the
environment for fuel wood, which often involves the
cutting down of trees and the resultant environmental
impacts.

16. Rural electrification
 The use of solar energy to produce electricity is
relevant to Botswana because the country lies in the
tropics where there is plenty of sunshine.
 This technology is cheap and more relevant in rural
households where incomes are low.

17. Waste water treatment
technology
 This technology involved the use of river sand to treat
waste water.
 This technology was relevant to Botswana because
river sand is available locally in large quantities and it
is also easy to use.

18. Water tanks technology
 RIIC designed water tanks which are used for rain
harvesting.
 This technology wassuitable to Botswana, which is
prone to drought.

19. Water desalination
 RIIC had developed the technology to treat salty water
obtained from underground to make it suitable for
human and livestock consumption.
 This technology was relevant to Botswana because
salty underground water would otherwise remain an
idle resource if left untreated in spite of the fact that
there is shortage of water in Botswana.

20. Animal drawn pumps
 Animal drawn pumps developed by RIIC were quite
suitable in rural Botswana because they did not
require fuel in order to run.

21. Windmills
 RIIC had developed windmills technology to pump
underground water. This technology was relevant to
oil-deficient countries such as Botswana because it
did not need fuel to run.
 It was also cheap and easy to use and repair.

22. Brick moulding
machines
 RIIC had designed brick moulding equipment which
caould be used by small-scale and medium-scale
brick producers.
 This technology is relevant to Botswana because it
iwas easy to operate and repair.

23. Leatherworks
 The leatherworks technology developed by RIIC was
relevant to Botswana because it used a locally
available raw material, leather, which is obtained from
livestock, which are kept by most Batswana

24. Metallurgy
 The smelting of iron to make simple implements such
as hoes and axes was a relevant technology to
Botswana because these are common tools used in
rural Botswana.

25. Draughtsmanship
 RIIC trains local people to make house plans.
 This was relevant to Botswana because it equiped
locals with skills which are needed in the country.
 It also helped to reduce unemployment because after
training the draughts men, they could start their own
small businesses to earn a living.

26. Botswana Technology
Centre (BOTEC).
 BOTEC was established in 1979 as a research and development
organisation.
 It is funded by the government of Botswana.
 It specialises in adaptation and development of technologies that
can improve the lives of people.
 BOTEC assists the people of Botswana to identify appropriate
technological choices in order to meet the changing needs of the
country.
 BOTEC does not only develop technologies, it also provides
advice to the government, Non-Governmental Organisations and
the private sector

27. Botswana Technology
Centre (BOTEC).
 The functions of BOTEC included among others the
development of technology for local use, co-ordination
of technological development within Botswana and
assessment of technologies for actual and potential
impact on development in various sectors.
 In general, the Centre monitored and evaluateed
alternative technologies and assists the government
and the private sector in identifying opportunities for
the application of appropriate technologies.


28. Projects for BOTEC:
The Solar Hearing Aid
 This was the hearing aid developed by Botswana
Technology Centre.
 The Solar Hearing Aid was a body worn hearing aid.
 It contains an internal solar rechargeable battery,
reducing the need to replace the battery.
 The Solar Hearing Aid costs much less compared to
other conventional hearing devices and it has no
operating costs related to energy consumption.

29. The Solar Hearing Aid
 This was a breakthrough in assisting people with hearing
problems especially in less developed countries like Botswana.
 The Solar Hearing Aid was very efficient but affordable to the
majority of the people compared to any hearing aid ever
developed.
 The Aid did not require frequent replacement of batteries since
they only need replacing after five years.
 It only required four hours of sunshine to provide enough power
for one week.
 The Solar Hearing Aid was adaptable to mild, moderate, or
severe hearing loss.
 It wasalso easy to clip the Aid on one's clothes

30. Wetlands technology
 According to Aliwa (2002), constructed wetlands
technology is a relatively new method for wastewater
treatment.
 The aggregates act as a flow medium for the
wastewater.
 As it flows through the medium and interacts with the
plant roots, treatment takes place resulting in stable
and safe final effluent.
 The polished water may then be used safely for such
activities as irrigating gardens by individuals.

31. Wetlands technology
 Natural wetlands often occur in some low-lying areas
and are known by such names as swamps, marshes,
bogs, fens and others.
 Their occurrence is typified by intermittent dry and
wet conditions or by a transition between the
perennially dry land mass and the wet water bodies
such as lakes and others.
 They support unique and well adapted flora and
fauna, some of them being endangered species.

32. Wetlands technology
 Natural wetlands have been found to exhibit
properties that remove a wide range of pollutants from
wastewater.
 This provides an effective, environmentally-friendly
and low-cost option for wastewater.
 Advantages of wetlands include the following:
 They can be built and operated at a lesser expense
than other wastewater treatment options


33. Wetlands technology
 They utilise natural processes such as plants and
micro-organisms for treating and renovating
wastewater No operational chemicals are used and
this means even fewer costs
 They do not need high technology tools or equipment
because the methods are very simple
 The processes are not overly sensitive to varying
environmental or seasonal changes.