Why Quanta? #1: Why Do We Need New Technology

According to UN estimates, the global population was 3.7 billion in 1970 and reached 7.6 billion in 2017. With this in mind, it is projected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030 and 9.8 billion in 2050. Based on population forecasts, half of the population growth towards 2050 will occur within nine countries, five of which are in Africa (Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda).[1]

The predicted population growth rate in these countries is astonishing, with a 33% increase from 2017 to 2050, reaching 1.9 billion. The fact that population growth is concentrated in the poorest countries is an additional challenge to the international society’s longstanding fight against poverty, hunger, human rights violations and abuses, education disparities, gender disparities, conflict threats, and terrorism.

Blockchain technology may be used to solve these issues and has quite the potential. Currently, there are more than 1.1 billion people, mostly in the poorest countries who do not own an ID. This makes it impossible to provide them with basic services such as appropriate medical care and education. This is a fact of the world.[2]

In response to this, the United Nations pinpointed the “Dissemination of safe and permanent digital ID” as one of their sustainable development goals (SDGs) to be reached by 2030. In the past, there weren’t any solutions to this issue but since then different businesses have aligned and are working with blockchain technology to create an answer. These businesses include Accenture, Microsoft, Hyper Leisure, UNICC, and more.[3]

Transparency and increased efficiency of donations are also major assets for poverty reduction.

When looking at what groups are the most vulnerable to poverty, one would see that refugees who evacuated from conflict areas are the most prone. Adding to this, they are also a hotbed for terrorism.[4] Seeking to solve this issue, companies such as Ireland’s AID:Tech has been providing refugees support using blockchain technology.

It is said that one-third of the OECD’s assistance to developing countries is missing every year, and there is a problem where the money is not going to people who need it.[5] AID:Tech’s solution is directly linking donors and beneficiaries with wallets where the cryptocurrency is sent in a scheme that does not result in intermediate exploitation. In addition, under the UN World Food Programme, the food support system “Building Blocks” has been developed and provides support to 10,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan, and demonstration experiments are being conducted in Pakistan.

This system can not only reduce the cost of supporting refugees but also protect the privacy of refugees, helping to prevent human trafficking.[6]

If we understand the history of humanity, it is clear that the arrival of new technology has played a role in rescuing those who have not been saved in the past.[7] Of course, that should be true of 21st-century technology, such as AI and blockchain. In addition to the efforts of the above-mentioned international organizations and projects, there are many other projects all over the world that engage in daily development and demonstration experiments with noble principles to solve global issues and persistent international problems.

With this subject in mind, Quanta has a similar philosophy and is making daily efforts toward technology development and use cases that lead to the solution of issues in the international community.

[1] United Nations DESA/POPULATION DIVITION, World Population Prospects 2017, https://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/

[2] The World Bank Group https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2017/10/12/11-billion-invisible-people-without-id-are-priority-for-new-high-level-advisory-council-on-identification-for-development

[3] ID2020, https://id2020.org/

[4] BBC, Kenyan closure of Dadaab refugee camp blocked by high court, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38917681

[5] Jenny Lei Ravelo “Devex” 30 percent of aid lost to corruption -Ban Ki-moon, https://www.devex.com/news/30-percent-of-aid-lost-to-corruption-ban-ki-moon-78643

[6] World Food Programme, Building Blocks, https://innovation.wfp.org/project/building-blocks

[7] UNHCR, Innovation Service, http://www.unhcr.org/innovation/connectivity-for-refugees/