scholarly journals The design and installation of Solar Home Systems in rural Cambodia

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Alice Watts ◽  
Jeremy Smith ◽  
Andrew Thomson
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Solar Energy ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Transfer Of Knowledge ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
The Hours ◽  
Home Systems

This study contends that solar home systems (SHS) are an appropriate solution to provide affordable, reliable and clean electricity in rural Cambodia. SHS provide decentralised electricity suitable for the electricity needs of rural households and with the decreasing cost of solar energy technologies, SHS are becoming an increasingly competitive source of energy. This study details the design and installation of two SHS in a rural community in Cambodia. The SHS have replaced the use of kerosene lamps and supplemented car battery usage, which has generated a cost saving of USD$2.50-3.20 per month. The SHS have increased the hours of quality lighting making it possible for users to improve educational outcomes by studying at night and participating in private education classes as well as potentially extending their working hours that provides an opportunity to increase their income. Community involvement in the installation of SHS and participation in an education program has ensured transfer of knowledge about system operation and maintenance at a local level that has ensured economic, social and environmental were benefits. This study builds a case in support of solar energy at the household level in rural Cambodia and makes recommendations for the deployment of SHS in rural communities throughout the developing world.

scholarly journals SOLAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, ENERGY-POVERTY NEXUS AND PUTTING THE LAST FIRST

2020 ◽  
pp. 47-54
Author(s):  
Dr. Boidurjo Mukhopadhyay
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Solar Energy ◽  
Rural Development ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Energy Poverty ◽  
Energy Applications ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Wide Range

This paper reviews how renewable energy applications in rural areas could reduce poverty, create income generating enterprises, and improve overall well-being of communities. In addition to highlighting a wide range of cases from developing countries, the research also points out to multifarious applications of solar energy technologies for rural development. The conventional myths that the poor cannot afford nor manage smart technologies are not true, as evidenced in the cases presented in this paper. Another objective of this paper is to highlight and emphasise the role of institutions, both formal and informal, with their nested partnerships in supporting, promoting and enhancing the use renewable energy technology-based solutions in rural communities of developing and emerging (BRICs) economies. KEY WORDS: solar energy, climate change, renewable energy, rural development, energy-poverty, sustainability, institutions, livelihoods, capacity building

A New Perspective on Rural Water Supply and Sanitation

1993 ◽  
Vol 27 (9) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Khalil H. Mancy
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Local Level ◽  
National Level ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Poor Countries ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Water Supply And Sanitation

It is claimed that the United Nations International Decade for Water Supply and Sanitation of the 1980s, has served to provide more than 1.3 billion people with capabilities tor adequate water supplies, and about 750 million with sanitation. The principle impact has been in rural communities of developing countries. Unfortunately, a considerable portion of these facilities are abandoned and inoperative. While completely manageable in the rich industrialized countries, water related diseases, e.g. infant mortality, child diarrhoea, and cholera epidemics persist in the poor countries of South America, Africa and Asia. The situation has been exacerbated by explosive population growth in the poor countries of the world. Despite national and international commitment, water supply and sanitation services are not keeping up with the demand, and many investments have not been sustained. It is clear now that the major constraint, in the less developed countries, has not been the lack of funds or water supply and sanitation technology, but rather an absence of a capacity to develop, utilize and sustain the available resources. Capacity building in a given country must come from within and it is basically a social-political process. The commitment of a country for capacity building of the water sector should be approached on two levels. On the national level this may entail changes in water related policies, establishment of legal, regulatory, and information systems, and the involvement of citizen groups and national professional organizations. On the local level, it is imperative to strengthen local institutional resources, technical, managerial and financial capabilities, and community involvement. Integration of water supply and sanitation agencies with local irrigation districts is frequently advantageous where water reclamation options are feasible. Examples from Egypt are presented.

scholarly journals Managing sustainability risks of bioenergy in four Nordic countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anders Chr. Hansen ◽  
Nicholas Clarke ◽  
Atle Wehn Hegnes
Keyword(s):  
Resource Competition ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Stakeholder Involvement ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Carbon Pools ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Agents Of Change ◽  
Local Actors ◽  
Government Planning ◽  
High Degree

Abstract Background Bioenergy plays a key role in the transition to a sustainable economy in Europe, but its own sustainability is being questioned. We study the experiences of Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway, to find out whether the forest-based bioenergy chains developed in the four countries have led to unsustainable outcomes and how the countries manage the sustainability risks. Data were collected from a diversity of sources including interviews, statistical databases, the scientific literature, government planning documents and legislation. Results Sustainability risks of deforestation, degradation of forests, reduced carbon pools in forests, expensive biopower and heat, resource competition, and lack of acceptance at the local level are considered. The experience of the four countries shows that the sustainability risks can to a high degree be managed with voluntary measures without resorting to prescriptive measures. It is possible to add to the carbon pools of forests along with higher harvest volumes if the risks are well managed. There is, however, a marginal trade-off between harvest volume and carbon pools. Economic sustainability risks may be more challenging than ecological risks because the competitiveness order of renewable energy technologies has been reversed in the last decade. The risk of resource competition harming other sectors in the economy was found to be small and manageable but requires continuous monitoring. Local communities acting as bioenergy communities have been agents of change behind the most expansive bioenergy chains. A fear of non-local actors reaping the economic gains involved in bioenergy chains was found to be one of the risks to the trust and acceptance necessary for local communities to act as bioenergy communities. Conclusions The Nordic experience shows that it has been possible to manage the sustainability risks examined in this paper to an extent avoiding unsustainable outcomes. Sustainability risks have been managed by developing an institutional framework involving laws, regulations, standards and community commitments. Particularly on the local level, bioenergy chains should be developed with stakeholder involvement in development and use, in order to safeguard the legitimacy of bioenergy development and reconcile tensions between the global quest for a climate neutral economy and the local quest for an economically viable community.

scholarly journals Daytime perimeter environmental noise in the vicinity of four hospitals in the city of Lima, Peru

Noise Mapping ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 239-247
Author(s):  
Alberto E. García-Rivero ◽  
Ricardo Ángel Yuli-Posadas ◽  
Warren Reátegui Romero ◽  
Odón Sánchez-Ccoyllo ◽  
Wilfredo Bulege-Gutierrez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Hours ◽  
Environmental Noise ◽  
Integration Time ◽  
Environmental Standards ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
The Hours ◽  
Measurement Mode ◽  
Special Protection Areas ◽  
The City ◽  
National Environmental

AbstractThe present study is intended to get to know the levels of perimeter diurnal environmental noise of four hospitals in the city of Lima. The measurement mode used at each hospital was A-weighting, with an integration time of five minutes per recording. It was measured in the FAST mode with calibrations made at the beginning and end of the measurement day. Statistical analysis consisted of the mean comparison T test which was applied at all the hospitals considered in the study. At the four hospitals, at all the hours of measurement and both on working days and non-working days (Sunday), LAeq mean values are higher than 83 dBA. On working days, two periods of maximum noise from 08:00 to 10:00 in the morning and from 17:00 to 19:00 in the afternoon coincide with the start and end of working hours. The perimeter diurnal environmental noise levels determined at the vicinity of four hospitals show higher values in all cases to those established by the Peruvian National Environmental Standards for Noise for special protection areas both for working days and for non-working days. Noise that comes from the dense and disorganized traffic of Lima plays a fundamental role in this behaviour.

scholarly journals Learning in the Anthropocene

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 233
Author(s):  
Rasmus Karlsson
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Local Level ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Optical Illusions ◽  
Global Trends ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Enlightenment Project ◽  
Global Trajectory

While the precautionary principle may have offered a sound basis for managing environmental risk in the Holocene, the depth and width of the Anthropocene have made precaution increasingly untenable. Not only have many ecosystems already been damaged beyond natural recovery, achieving a sustainable long-term global trajectory now seem to require ever greater measures of proactionary risk-taking, in particular in relation to the growing need for climate engineering. At the same time, different optical illusions, arising from temporary emissions reductions due to the COVID-19 epidemic and the local deployment of seemingly “green” small-scale renewable energy sources, tend to obscure worsening global trends and reinforce political disinterest in developing high-energy technologies that would be more compatible with universal human development and worldwide ecological restoration. Yet, given the lack of feedback between the global and the local level, not to mention the role of culture and values in shaping perceptions of “sustainability”, the necessary learning may end up being both epistemologically and politically difficult. This paper explores the problem of finding indicators suitable for measuring progress towards meaningful climate action and the restoration of an ecologically vibrant planet. It is suggested that such indicators are essentially political as they reflect, not only different assessments of technological feasibility, but orientations towards the Enlightenment project.

scholarly journals MP16: Quality of work life among nurses and physicians in Québec rural emergency departments

CJEM ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (S1) ◽  
pp. S70
Author(s):  
R. Fleet ◽  
G. Dupuis ◽  
M. Mbakop-Nguebou ◽  
P.M. Archambault ◽  
J. Plant ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Career Path ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Quality Of Work Life ◽  
Recruitment And Retention ◽  
Quality Of Work ◽  
Nurses And Physicians

Introduction: Recruitment and retention of healthcare staff are difficult in rural communities. Poor quality of work life (QWL) may be an underling factor as rural healthcare professionals are often isolated and work with limited resources. However, QWL data on rural emergency (ED) staff is limited. We assessed QWL among nurses and physicians as part of an ongoing study on ED care in Québec. Methods: We selected EDs offering 24/7 medical coverage, with hospitalization beds, in rural or small towns (Stats Canada definition). Of Québec’s 26 rural EDs, 23 (88%) agreed to participate. The online Quality of Work Life Systemic Inventory (QWLSI, with 1 item per 34 “life domains”), was sent to all non-locum ED nurses and physicians (about 500 potential participants). The QWLSI is used for comparing QWL scores to those of a large international database. We present overall and subscale QWL scores as percentiles (PCTL) of scores in the large database, and comparisons of nurses’ and physicians’ scores (t test). Results: Thirty-three physicians and 84 nurses participated. Mean age was 39.8 years (SD=10.1): physicians=37 (7.7) and nurses=40.9 (10.7). Overall QWL scores for all were in the 32nd PCTL, i.e. low. Nurses were in the 28th PCTL and physicians in the 44nd (p>0.05). For both groups, QWL was below the 25th PCTL i.e. very low, for “sharing workload during absence of an employee”, “working equipment”, “flexibility of work schedule”, “impact of working hours on health”, “possibility of being absent for familial reasons”, “relations with employees”. The groups differed (p<0.05) on only two subscales: remuneration and career path. For remuneration, scores were similar on fringe benefits (nurses 22nd PCTL, physicians 32nd) and income security (nurses 72nd, physicians 74th), but differed on income level (nurses 74th, physicians 93rd). The groups differed on all 3 career path items: advancement possibilities (nurses 53th, physicians 91st), possibilities for transfer (nurses 51nd, physicians 84th) and continuing education (nurses 18th, physicians 49th). Conclusion: Overall QWL among rural ED staff is poor. Groups had similar QWL scores except on career path, with physicians perceiving better long-term prospects. Given difficulties in rural recruitment and retention, these findings suggest that QWL should be assessed in rural and urban EDs nationwide.

scholarly journals “Snow Scenes”: Exploring the Role of Memory and Place in Commemorating Extreme Winters

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Hall ◽  
Georgina Endfield
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Potential Effect ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
National Narratives ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Weather Events

Abstract Scholars are increasingly focusing on the cultural dimensions of climate, addressing how individuals construct their understanding of climate through local weather. Research often focuses on the importance of widespread conceptualizations of mundane everyday weather, although attention has also been paid to extreme weather events and their potential effect on popular understandings of local climate. This paper introduces the “Snow Scenes” project, which aimed to engage rural communities in Cumbria, England, with their memories of extreme and severe past winter conditions in the region. Collating memories across a wide demographic, using a variety of methods, individual memories were analyzed alongside meteorological and historical records. By exploring these memories and their associated artifacts, this paper aims to better understand the role of memory and place in commemorating extreme winters. First, it is demonstrated how national narratives of exceptional winters are used by individuals as benchmarks against which to gauge conditions. Second, this paper identifies how specific locations and landmarks help to place memories and are shown to be important anchors for individuals’ understanding of their climate. Third, the paper considers how memories of severe winters are often nostalgic in their outlook, with a strong association between snowy winters, childhood, and childhood places. Fourth, it is illustrated how such events are regularly connected to important personal or familial milestones. Finally, the paper reflects on how these local-level experiences of historical extreme events may be central to the shaping of popular understandings of climate and also, by extension, climate change.

scholarly journals Renewable Energy Technologies for Energy Efficient Buildings: The Case of Kuwait

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4440
Author(s):  
Bader Alshuraiaan
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Solar Energy ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Investment Efficiency ◽  
Renewable Energy Technologies ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Energy Efficient Buildings ◽  
Proposed Model

The purpose of this study is to identify the most relevant renewable energy technologies for buildings and to assess the effectiveness of their implementation in the long term for Kuwait. Methods of analogies and comparisons were used to determine the features of energy efficiency based on the technologies under study. The study proposes the methodological approach to assessing the effectiveness of the introduction of renewable energy technologies, determining the direction of increasing the energy efficiency of buildings and the investment efficiency of introducing these technologies. Renewable energy efficiency analysis for buildings in Kuwait confirms that solar energy systems have been the most widely available for widespread use of solar energy over the past three years. An increasing level of energy efficiency with a decrease in the notional cost of increasing energy savings is characteristic of solar collectors with booster reflectors. The proposed model for assessing the level of energy saving provides an opportunity for economic justification of introducing renewable energy technology in buildings.

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