Today, two billion people in the developing world struggle for life’s
necessities. Safe forms of energy are hard to come by and often come in
the lowest quality forms of wood and kerosene, both of which create
significant indoor pollution and health risks.
necessities. Safe forms of energy are hard to come by and often come in
the lowest quality forms of wood and kerosene, both of which create
significant indoor pollution and health risks.
With city populations exploding in the developing world, across
the globe efforts are being made to provide clean energy in
impoverished urban areas. This is a key challenge to be overcome if the
world is to meet the Global Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by
2015.
the globe efforts are being made to provide clean energy in
impoverished urban areas. This is a key challenge to be overcome if the
world is to meet the Global Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by
2015.
AIT energy experts Prof. Ram M. Shrestha and Prof. Sivanappan
Kumar have found that electricity is literally the spark for empowering
poor people’s development, since it powers lights for education and
home industries that can generate family incomes.
Kumar have found that electricity is literally the spark for empowering
poor people’s development, since it powers lights for education and
home industries that can generate family incomes.
Watch AIT Energy Professors Ram M. Shrestha and Sivanappan
Kumar on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xazYDZbZtZA
Global Network on Energy for Sustainable Development (GNESD). The
video is produced by GNESD. It is facilitated by the United Nations
Environment Programme and is supported by the governments of Denmark
and Germany.
The School of Environment, Resources and Development professors
represent AIT’s membership in the Global
Network on Energy for Sustainable Development (GNESD), a United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)-facilitated knowledge network of
developing world Centers of Excellence and network partners.
represent AIT’s membership in the Global
Network on Energy for Sustainable Development (GNESD), a United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)-facilitated knowledge network of
developing world Centers of Excellence and network partners.
GNESD brings together top researchers in Asia, Africa, and Latin
America. Its main objective is to carry out policy analysis on thematic
energy issues which can facilitate in reaching the eight
MDGs.
America. Its main objective is to carry out policy analysis on thematic
energy issues which can facilitate in reaching the eight
MDGs.
Prof. Kumar and Prof. Shrestha believe modern forms of energy are
a vital prerequisite to achieving sustainable development and overall
improvement in the quality of life of the poor.
a vital prerequisite to achieving sustainable development and overall
improvement in the quality of life of the poor.
In their published paper “Modern energy use by the urban poor in
Thailand: a study of slum households in two cities”, Energy for
Sustainable Development, Volume XII No. 4, December 2008, they studied
the factors behind the high access of the urban poor to modern forms of
energy in Thailand.
Thailand: a study of slum households in two cities”, Energy for
Sustainable Development, Volume XII No. 4, December 2008, they studied
the factors behind the high access of the urban poor to modern forms of
energy in Thailand.
The professors’ research indicates that lack of legal land title
to a home by semi-permanent urban dwellers can be a powerful inhibitor
to their accessing electricity on a national grid. In the case of
Thailand, their study showed that providing the urban poor with
electricity was the result of a successful electrification program,
price subsidies and low monthly electricity service charges for poor
households, and a reliable supply and ready availability of LPG.
to a home by semi-permanent urban dwellers can be a powerful inhibitor
to their accessing electricity on a national grid. In the case of
Thailand, their study showed that providing the urban poor with
electricity was the result of a successful electrification program,
price subsidies and low monthly electricity service charges for poor
households, and a reliable supply and ready availability of LPG.
GNESD is comprised of the following
institutions:
institutions:
AFREPREN (Kenya)
CENBIO, COOPETEC
(Brazil)
ERC (South
Africa)
FOUNDATION BARILOCHE (Argentina)
ENDA (Senegal)
TERI
(India)
CENBIO, COOPETEC
(Brazil)
ERC (South
Africa)
FOUNDATION BARILOCHE (Argentina)
ENDA (Senegal)
TERI
(India)
AIT
(Thailand)
(Thailand)