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Add to Preferred SourcesThe low level of energy access in refugee camps is sorely felt by displaced people. Expensive and dirty technologies contribute to poverty, and hamper relief and development efforts.
Moreover, the negative impacts of inadequate access to energy cause greatest harm to the most vulnerable. Modern technologies and private-sector approaches offer the chance to improve lives and reduce costs, but the humanitarian sector is not yet taking advantage of the opportunities available. A transformation is required for the benefits of innovative energy technologies and policies to be widely and deeply felt.
This paper draws on primary research to present the energy access situation in the refugee camps of Goudoubo in Burkina Faso and Kakuma I in Kenya. It focuses on cooking, lighting and power in the home, and on energy for enterprises and camp facilities such as clinics, schools, water pumps and street lights. For the first time a detailed insight into displaced people’s energy priorities and preferences, and their willingness to pay for access to energy, is presented. The authors’ approach draws on detailed quantitative sampling, as well as on in-depth qualitative analysis.
There is clear dissatisfaction on the part of refugees, camp administrators and humanitarian workers with the current level of energy provision in the camps, and a corresponding demand for change. This paper outlines several energy scenarios, produced with contributions from refugees, that would represent a dramatic improvement in the lives and life chances of displaced people. It provides a picture of the economics of each scenario, showing the capital and operating requirements and the projected savings relative to a ‘business as usual’ baseline.
Drawing on example projects and research from the Moving Energy Initiative (MEI), the paper also explores how private-sector engagement offers the possibility of delivering innovative and cost-efficient solutions
The need to reform how energy is delivered in camps for displaced people is recognized. The energy scenarios presented in this paper are intended to open a debate among donors and humanitarian agencies about what solutions could most usefully be promoted, and about who can realistically receive access and at what cost. The scenarios have been defined using camp residents’ responses to surveys in which they were asked about their preferred technologies and willingness to pay for them. The scenarios are intended to allow comparison and contrast of different approaches, thus to inform policy and practice.
Original source: Chatham House
Published on 30 January 2018