Holistic Community Development, the Role of Rets and Local Ngos in Breaking the Vicious Circle of Poverty
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Holistic Community Development, the Role of RETs and local NGOs in Breaking the Vicious Circle of Poverty in the Context of Developing Countries Lecture 1 : 20 th March 2017 Lecture 2 : 3 rd April 2017 Dr. Alex Zahnd, RIDS-Nepal / Kathmandu University Nepal Outline of Lectures Lecture 1 (20 th March 2017) • What is Development / Sustainable Development • The Role of Energy Services in Holistic Community Development (HCD) • Energy Resources to Energy Services – Blessing OR Curse ? • Poverty has many Faces • Holistic Community Development (HCD) • RIDS-Nepal (Nepali NGO) • “Family of 4” and “Family of 4 PLUS” • Renewable Energy Resources – “Wealth” of the Local Community • Quantify and Qualify the Local RE Resources • Some of the Major RETs at a Glimpse (9 RETs briefly looked at) • Energy Storage Lecture 2 (3 rd April 2017) • Nepal, - some Facts and Background • 7 Elements that help to break the vicious circle of poverty • RIDS-Nepal (Nepali NGO) • Examples to each of the 7 Elements that help to break the vicious circle of poverty • Questions and Discussion (Lecture 1 & 2) Short Background about myself • Alex Zahnd • I am Swiss, my wife is Indian and we have 2 children • Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering from Switzerland • Industrial experience in Switzerland in the plastic, food and pharmaceutical industry • Masters in Renewable Energy Technology (RET) from Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia (2004) • PhD from Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia. My thesis topic: “The Role of Renewable Energy Technologies in Holistic Community Development” (2013), available as book from Springer: http://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-03989-3 • Worked and lived in Nepal since 1983, mainly with Christian development agencies • Developed with local Nepali friends our own non-profit NGO, RIDS- Nepal ( www.rids-nepal.org ), in order to implement new Holistic Community Development concepts What is Development ? What is Development ? • Multi-dimensional process involving qualitative and quantitative improvements in society (Wilson and Wood,1984) • Increased Quality of Life , such as …. – meeting and improving basic living conditions: food, shelter, work, clothing, access to basic energy services, clean drinking water, health care, education,… – to live dignified lives, to have choices and opportunities ... – leisure time, stress-free time, feeling of well-being …. • Social Justice Equal rights to opportunities and resources • Political Freedom Right to speak freely, to disagree, to defer in opinion, to protest, to vote • Economic Security Right to meaningful, save and secure jobs with reasonable/just pay • Environmental Sustainability Maintaining/healing the environment for now and the future generations How does “traditional” Development relates to (economic) Growth ? Is Development = OR ≠ (economic) Growth ? Sustainable Development (SD) • Sustainability: Is it the end-state (goal) of a process or the process itself ? • Some say (Robinson, 2004), it is a process (or approach), and needs to integrate environmental, economic and social issues with a long-term perspective. • Others say it is an end-state , equalling “Input with Output”. That means, being “sustainable” is a characteristic/result of a sustainable development process working towards sustainability. • Some say that Sustainable Development is an oxymoron, i.e. development (popularly/traditionally defined as equalling (economic) growth), contradicts sustainability, as the mantra of “steady economic growth” can not be equalled with sustainability….? • Thus, SD means different things to different people, dependent on their professional, cultural, economic and social background. What are implications of these differing definitions? • Brundtland Report (1987): "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. • Institute of Engineers Australia (1994): “Sustainable development is a tool for achieving sustainability, not the desired goal”. • Watch after class: “The Story of Stuff” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLBE5QAYXp8 (21:16 min.) Sustainable Community Development (SCD) • Bringing all these issues, questions and thoughts under one umbrella, what is your position/opinion on SCD ? • To what extent has your studies so far helped you to grapple with, and come to a clearer and more realistic understanding of what SCD is ? • Which of your questions have not yet been answered ? • What practical exposure to, and participation in, CD did you have ? • What would you do now differently than before ? • How much did practical exposure to and participation in CD projects help you to deepen your understanding of what SCD is, needs to be and aims to achieve ? • What do you consider to be Key Aspects of a SCD project ? The Role of Energy Services in SCD • What do YOU consider the Role of Energy Services to be in SCD ? • Identify some energy services you “consume” in your daily activities in your own context, or so called “developed” part of the world. • What value/role/importance do you give to these energy services ? • How many of your daily energy services you consider as “essential” (needs) to your life and how many are “non-essential” (wants, or even greed?) or just a “privilege” to have? • How conscious are you consuming your daily energy services ? • Change context from the “developed” to the “developing” world. Identify, in your opinion, the “NEEDS” and the “WANTS” of what you understand to be the basic right to a “decent” living standard ? • What is the role of energy services in the development / life improvement of a person, family and community in a developing community ? It also shows that “indefinite” access to energy services does not mean “indefinite” high HDI There is an area of a clear, strong increase of the HDI with “minimal” increased access to energy services There is a clear dependence of increased access to energy services and a higher HDI From: World Energy Assessment Overview: Update 2004, Basic Energy Facts II, Figure 3, page 27 http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/environment-energy/sustainable_energy/world_energy_assessmentoverview2004update.html 1 kgoe = 41,868 kJ/kg net calorific value. Thus, e.g. 5,000 kgoe/capita = 209.34 GJ/capita = 58.15MWh/capita = 159 kWh/capita per day, or 6.6 kW constant power consumption per capita. Thus each US person consumed in 2000 power at the constant rate of 11 kW, or today ~9-10 kW What Curve Tendency What Curve Tendency is expected for the is expected for the Infant Mortality Rate Adult Illiteracy Rate against the Energy against the Energy Use Per Capita ? Use Per Capita ? What Curve Tendency What Curve Tendency is expected for the is expected for the Life Fertility Rate against Expectancy against the Energy Use Per the Energy Use Per Capita ? Capita ? From: World Energy Assessment Report 2000, UNDP, chapter 2: Energy and the Challenge of Sustainability, page 42 From Energy Resources to Energy Services Blessing ? OR Curse ? • What are the Pros and Cons of taping into the non-renewable and renewable energy resources ? • What are the possible blessings and curses and what is our responsibility and response to the present energy world scenario ? • Example of tapping into Non-Renewable Energy Resources YouTube videos: 1) Nigeria, rich in oil – a curse for local communities: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ME1cRpuQQo&feature=related (0:00-2:53) 2) Fracking Hell: The Untold Story (Marcellus Shale Fields): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEB_Wwe-uBM (15:14 - 17:13 min) • Example tapping into Renewable Energy Resources: Island of Samso in Denmark: 1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIRRIGIsJdk (0:00 - 4:16) 2) Gemasolar 19.9 MW Power Tower, 24 hours Power Generation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMWIgwvbrcM (0:14 - 4:30 min) Poverty has many Faces and Definitions. and cannot easily be define in mere economic values and figures, as different standards, ethics and expressions of what poverty means are held in different cultures . it denies human beings the chance to live dignified lives, with choices and opportunities for change and development . but what poverty does do, independent of national borders, is manifest itself in an inability to meet human needs such as food, shelter, work, clothing, clean water, fuel, health care and education . “Poverty alleviation and development depend on the access to energy services that are affordable, reliable and of good quality” (quoted from Reddy A.K.N. 2002, Saghir 2005) There are clear linkages between access to energy and reduced infant mortality and fertility rates and increased literacy and life expectancy. (WEA, 2002) . the last few decades of experience and facts of development projects around the globe compel us to engage in long-term holistic community development, with projects designed after a detailed needs assessment is conducted in concert with villagers themselves. – This is not only Good and Successful - - IT's I M P E R A T I V E - Thus, issues regarding . • Basic indoor lighting • Health • Improved cooking • Hygiene • Income generation • Mal-nutrition • Room heating • Drinking water • Deforestation • Indoor air pollution • Skill training • Increased food availability • Education . need to be understood and addressed in a HCD program. Not over a short time but on a long-term basis, each project embedded with others simultaneously. In this way a HCD program stands the chance to be sustainable and relevant, benefiting from the synergistic