ENERGY POVERTY IN THE CONTEXT OF SMOG AS EXEMPLIFIED BY POLAND

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aneta Michalak
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Distribution ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Energy Poverty ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
Level Of Details ◽  
Structural Research

This article is aimed at analysing the most important facts and patterns concerning energy poverty as well as at attempted verification of the hypothesis connecting this poverty type and smog. First, the problem of smog in Poland is presented. Next, the work analyses energy poverty, reviewing the adopted measures of that phenomenon and specifying its scale and geographical distribution. It is shown that the areas struggling with the problem of smog are also the ones with the highest quantity of energy-poor households. Those are the most urbanized and heavily populated regions of Poland. According to the analysis, solutions to the problem of smog should be connected directly with liquidating energy poverty of households. The adopted methodology is based on the “Low Income High Costs” (LIHC) index. This index considers modifications proposed by the Institute for Structural Research (ISR), adapting it to the Polish conditions and the level of details of data available for Poland

scholarly journals Behavior Patterns, Energy Consumption and Comfort during COVID-19 Lockdown Related to Home Features, Socioeconomic Factors and Energy Poverty in Madrid

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 5949
Author(s):  
Teresa Cuerdo-Vilches ◽  
Miguel Ángel Navas-Martín ◽  
Ignacio Oteiza
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Thermal Adaptation ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
General Increase ◽  
Energy Poverty ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
Global Spread ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
The Face ◽  
Future Harm

During spring 2020, the world was shocked at the imminent global spread of SARS-CoV-2, resorting to measures such as domestic confinement. This meant the reconfiguration of life in an unusual space; the home. However, not all households experienced it in the same way; many of them were vulnerable. A general increase in energy consumption and discomfort in many cases, led these families to suffer the ravages of confinement. This study analyzes the energy and comfort situation for the Madrid (Spain) population, according to the configuration of the homes, the characteristics of the dwellings, the vulnerability index by district, and energy poverty (measured with the 10% threshold of energy expenditure of home incomes). The results show a greater exposure, in confinement, of vulnerable and energy-poor households to scenarios of discomfort in the home, to which they could not respond, while energy consumption inevitably increased. Driven by need, energy-poor homes applied certain saving strategies, mainly resorting to thermal adaptation with clothing. This study shows the risk these households experienced in the face of an extreme situation, and invites reflection on preventive and containment measures that aim to avoid harming the disadvantaged in the future; harm that would also entail serious consequences on the health of their cohabitants.

scholarly journals Prediction of Fuel Poverty Potential Risk Index Using Six Regression Algorithms: A Case-Study of Chilean Social Dwellings

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2426
Author(s):  
David Bienvenido-Huertas ◽  
Jesús A. Pulido-Arcas ◽  
Carlos Rubio-Bellido ◽  
Alexis Pérez-Fargallo
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Potential Risk ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Risk Index ◽  
Computing Time ◽  
Simulated Data ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Energy Poverty ◽  
Regression Algorithms

In recent times, studies about the accuracy of algorithms to predict different aspects of energy use in the building sector have flourished, being energy poverty one of the issues that has received considerable critical attention. Previous studies in this field have characterized it using different indicators, but they have failed to develop instruments to predict the risk of low-income households falling into energy poverty. This research explores the way in which six regression algorithms can accurately forecast the risk of energy poverty by means of the fuel poverty potential risk index. Using data from the national survey of socioeconomic conditions of Chilean households and generating data for different typologies of social dwellings (e.g., form ratio or roof surface area), this study simulated 38,880 cases and compared the accuracy of six algorithms. Multilayer perceptron, M5P and support vector regression delivered the best accuracy, with correlation coefficients over 99.5%. In terms of computing time, M5P outperforms the rest. Although these results suggest that energy poverty can be accurately predicted using simulated data, it remains necessary to test the algorithms against real data. These results can be useful in devising policies to tackle energy poverty in advance.

scholarly journals Attitude and Behaviour For Preventing COVID-19 Disease Infections in Mali: An Analysis Based On COVID-19 Panel Phone Survey

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilfried GUETS ◽  
Deepak Kumar Behera
Keyword(s):  
World Bank ◽  
Low Income ◽  
World Health ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Model ◽  
The World Bank ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
Phone Survey ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
National Statistical Office

Abstract Background COVID-19 outbreak has been declared as an emerging and conflict situation by the World Health Organization (WHO) due to the multiple nature of infection through international spread that poses a serious threat to populations’ health and socio-economic conditions household in general. Objective This study aims to analyse the behaviour adopted by households’ heads for preventing COVID-19 infection in Mali. Methods We collected data from the COVID-19 Panel Households survey collected in Mali by the National Statistical Office, Institut National de la Statistique (INSTAT), in collaboration with the World Bank in October 2020. We used a multivariate logistic regression model. Results A total of 1,514 households heads were included. The age between 20 and 90 years old. The poor households represented 27%. Being a household with a low-income reduced the probability of using masks (p < 0.1). Being poor increased the probability to agree with vaccination (p < 0.01). The health services utilisation increased the probability of wear masks (p < 0.01), getting tested (p < 0.01), and agree with the vaccine (p < 0.01). People with a high occupation volume were more likely to wear protective masks (p < 0.1). Conclusion Behaviour and attitude prevention varied according to households characteristics. Local government and policymakers should continue to provide more economic, medical and social assistance to protect the population, which would reduce the spread of the disease, particularly to households living in vulnerable regions of the country most affected by conflict and food insecurity.

IMPACTS OF FINANCIAL INCLUSION ON POVERTY AND INCOME INEQUALITY IN DEVELOPING ASIA

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
WARATTAYA CHINNAKUM
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Income Inequality ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Trade Openness ◽  
Generalized Method Of Moments ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
Low Income Groups

This study investigates the impacts of financial inclusion on poverty and income inequality in 27 developing countries in Asia during 2004–2019 based on a composite financial inclusion index (FII) constructed using principal component analysis (PCA). The generalized method of moments (GMM) was employed for the estimation. The results show that financial inclusion can influence the reduction in both poverty and income inequality. The empirical findings also reveal the contribution of such control variables as economic growth in decreasing income disparity and trade openness in helping improve the standard of living of poor households despite its tendency to co-vary with income inequality. The present empirical evidence supporting the role of financial inclusion in reducing poverty and income inequality in developing countries has led to a policy implication that financial sector development should focus on the availability, usage, and depth of credit to cover all poor households or low-income groups to help improve their access to financial services, enable them to increase their income, and reduce the income gap between poor and rich households.

Contribution of Nontimber Forest Products to Rural Household Income in the Kassena-Nankana West District of Ghana

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-227
Author(s):  
William Agia Adongo ◽  
Collins Kwabena Osei ◽  
Camillus Abawiera Wongnaa
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Nontimber Forest Products ◽  
Resource Base ◽  
Poor Households

Abstract The contribution of income from nontimber forest products (NTFPs) to rural livelihoods and household income has received global recognition. However, there are growing concerns of overexploitation of NTFPs driven by poverty and policy neglect that threaten the sustainability of the NTFP resource base in Kassena-Nankana West District (KNWD) of Ghana. The study investigated the contribution of income from NTFPs to household income and socioeconomic factors that influence the collection and marketing of NTFPs in KNWD. Using a multistage sampling technique, quantitative data were collected from 375 households through structured survey questionnaires. Qualitative data were gathered through focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and field observations. Results showed that income from NTFPs forms a significant part of household income with a contribution of 32.69 percent to household income. Regression analysis revealed sex of respondent (P = 0.057), household size (P = 0.046), agricultural land size (P = 0.000), NTFP retailers (P = 0.000), NTFP wholesalers (P = 0.000), and value-added NTFPs (P = 0.000) as significantly and positively correlated with income from NTFPs. Results further indicated that poor households depend primarily on NTFPs in order to achieve their subsistence and income needs compared to high-income households. This research recommends that stakeholders and policymakers consider the needs of forest-dependent communities in policy analysis on NTFP conservation measures. Also, the role of households, especially the low income (poor), in the management of forest resources should be spelled out since they depend primarily on NTFPs to meet their subsistence and income needs.

When Homes Become Prisons: The Relational Spaces of Postsocialist Energy Poverty

2007 ◽  
Vol 39 (8) ◽  
pp. 1908-1925 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Buzar
Keyword(s):  
Energy Poverty ◽  
Heating Systems ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
Housing Needs ◽  
Vulnerable Households ◽  
Energy Deprivation ◽  
Energy Reforms ◽  
Institutional Relationships ◽  
Different Levels

In this paper I aim to develop a relational geographical interpretation of energy poverty in the postsocialist states of Eastern and Central Europe, through a field-based study of inadequately heated homes in the Macedonian cities of Skopje and Štip. According to the reviewed evidence, domestic energy deprivation simultaneously shapes, and is shaped by, the institutional relationships between policy actors at different levels of governance, and the day-to-day interactions between vulnerable households and the built environment. It is contingent on three sets of processes: the socioeconomic implications of energy reforms in postsocialism, the inadequate energy efficiency of the homes of energy-poor households, and the mismatch between housing needs and heating systems at the household level. As a result of such interdependencies, households may become ‘imprisoned’ in particular types of sociospatial arrangements that contribute to the emergence of poverty.

scholarly journals Factors Affecting Fuelwood Consumption and CO2 Emissions: An Example from a Community-Managed Forest of Nepal

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 4492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baral ◽  
Basnyat ◽  
Gauli ◽  
Paudel ◽  
Upadhyaya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Carbon Emission ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Community Forests ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
Forest Users ◽  
Fuelwood Consumption

Fuelwood is the primary source of energy in Nepal, where 87.1% of the total energy is derived from wood, making it the major source for carbon emissions. This study explores the factors affecting the fuelwood consumption, the amount of carbon emissions including the potential for carbon sequestration in community forests, taking a case study of Kankali Community Forest Users Group (CFUG) of Chitwan district of Nepal. Interviews with 217 households revealed that 60% of the households still depend on fuelwood for cooking, which apparently emits approximately 13.68 tons of carbon dioxide annually. The emission, however, varies with the economic status of the households; poor households rely exclusively on fuelwood for cooking and therefore emit greater amount of carbon. Similarly, the carbon emission was also found to be directly proportional to the family size and livestock holding, and inversely proportional to landholding and per capita income. A more conservation-oriented forest management along with activities to support livelihood has contributed to lower carbon emissions. Interestingly, the poverty-energy trap seemed to have a distinct gender dimension. We argue that CFUGs need to invest in income-generating activities for local users, and especially for women of low-income households, in order to reduce current carbon emission.

scholarly journals Solidarity and social behaviour: how did this help communities to manage COVID-19 pandemic?

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 1183-1200
Author(s):  
Paul Agu Igwe ◽  
Chinedu Ochinanwata ◽  
Nonso Ochinanwata ◽  
Jonathan Olufemi Adeyeye ◽  
Isaac Monday Ikpor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Informal Economy ◽  
Sampling Procedure ◽  
Social Solidarity ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Job Seekers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Resource Pooling ◽  
Work From Home ◽  
Poor Households

PurposeDuring the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic lockdowns, stay at home or work from home, many have argued that the westernised non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) do not provide remedial in low-income countries like Nigeria, where informal job seekers, street traders, informal labourers and artisans depend mainly on the informal economy. By applying social solidarity (SS) and community-based approach (CBA), the authors evaluate individual acts (trust, altruism and reciprocity) during the lockdown and how these practices evolve from individual approaches to collective actions.Design/methodology/approachThis study reflects on pragmatism research paradigm that enables researchers to maintain both subjectivity in their reflections and objectivity in data collection and analysis. The authors adopt a qualitative method through purposeful and convenience sampling procedure. Data were analysed thematically to identify elements of SS, individual acts, collective or community actions and perceptions.FindingsThe findings reveal that COVID-19 had a disproportionate impact (lack of food and a fall in daily income) on workers, informal job seekers, informal businesses operators and the poor households. As such, the study developed a reflective model of solidarity exhibited by individual acts and collective acts (practices of resource pooling, information sharing, women empowerment, distribution of palliatives and donations) within trusted circles that helped people cope with the lockdown experiences.Practical implicationsSolidarity represents beliefs, practices of values and norms. The SS exhibited by people through NPI would have implications on planning and monitoring the effectiveness of public health programmes during a pandemic in the future.Social implicationsThe findings of citizens and community actions have implications related to the process of building communities – coming together – and solidarity that enhances social development with implications on community health policy agenda during disasters, emergencies and health pandemic.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies to analyse the relationship between trust, altruism, reciprocity, SS and CBA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, it seems reasonable to clarify the concept of SS given the lack of clarity about the definitions from previous studies.

Energy poverty and cooking energy requirements: The forgotten issue in South African energy policy?

2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 4-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Balmer
Keyword(s):  
Energy Policy ◽  
South African ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Energy Poverty ◽  
Household Energy ◽  
Human Need ◽  
Cooking Energy ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Low Income Households

Cooking energy is a necessary input for satisfying the basic human need of survival. Much has been written about poverty, energy, development, envi-ronment and gender, but unfortunately, recent poli-cies adopted by the South African government have completely failed to adequately address the issue. The focus of energy and most notably renewable energy policy has shifted form the previous approach of increasing access to energy sources for low-income households to addressing climate change issues. Pro-poor policies have suffered and important fuel such as wood fuel is not addressed. It is argued that without adequately addressing ther-mal requirements of low-income households, ener-gy poverty cannot be addressed. The aim of the paper is firstly, to contextualise cooking and cooking energy within a framework of household energy, poverty, multiple fuel use and gender issues and secondly, to provide an overview of the cost and externalities associated with household cooking. Lastly, the paper proposes interventions to address cooking energy in a sustainable manner in South Africa.

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