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By: Ranjan Parajuli

parajuliranjan@yahoo.com
30 April, 2011

Highlights on
Energy Security for Climate Change Adaptation.

General:
“Adaptive capacity is also the resilience of communities to variability, and change (including
but not limited to climate change) is a function of environmental, social and financial assets
and the ongoing capability to transform these assets into human well-being. Adaptive
capacity (or equivalently, resilience) in this formulation is the sum of assets and
capabilities” [Source: IISD, 2006]

Renewable Energy a Decentralized means for promoting Energy Security

Renewable Energy development, which is one of the decentralized means of increasing


access of energy in Nepal has been regarded as one of the major cross cutting elements in
the overall sectoral development of meso and macro economy. It has created tremendous
opportunities of employment and entrepreneurship development in the peri-urban and rural
settlements of the country. When we correlate the rationality of such kind of energy
technologies, better called decentralized energy system with climate change adaptation
process, it is obvious to know how it has implication on resilience of communities to
variability and changes. How it better address the key functions and parameters required to
increase resilient capacity of vulnerable population. How it assists functions of resilience like
environmental, social and financial assets and transform for better human livings.

Nexus of Decentralised Energy on climate Change Adaptation

Rationality of decentralized energy on a climate adaptation strategy however is less


obvious to show empirically, nevertheless has a significant role in maintaining the
agroecosystem model that links ecosystem services to poverty alleviation, and builds on the
linkages between energy services and poverty alleviation. The major impact of climate
change so far expected in developing world are scarcity of water, extreme events and
associated land and water resource degradation , health impact, and loss of opportunities of
livelihood. The chances of risk, vulnerabilities and effects can be mitigated and reduced by
different means. One of which is access to information, access to education to understand
on climate change and way out to cope with the changes, access to livelihood opportunities
to carry out the usual activities regardless of any changes.
Hence for all these, decentralized energy systems has a significant role, which is the pre-
requisite tool for social and economic development, which if ensured and managed will
assist in increasing resilient capacity. Some of the specific examples for these are;

 Decentralized renewable energy provides energy for irrigation pumping (to adapt
with the consequences appeared due to water scarcity and the need of pumping) and
post-harvest processing ( to ensure food security), which in turn provides new
natural resource management options and supports in livelihood opportunities.
 Better lighting expands educational opportunities and livelihood options basically in
country like Nepal, where majority population resides on rural areas
 Energy services also improve access to safe water and sanitation services, reduce
exposure to indoor pollutants, and make possible access to refrigerated vaccines—all
of which reduce health risks if are expected to get deteriorated due to extreme
events and climatic variations.
 Bio mass energy production (cultivation of autonomous and commercial biomass
stocks, which is more relevant for developing country like Nepal, where more than
80% of energy supply is fulfilled by it) affects both water and land resource
management when implemented on a watershed and targeted towards the
rehabilitation of degraded land. This ensures proper land management, conservation
of bio-diversity, increases productivity and opens avenues for livelihood opportunities
and resources for energy carriers.

Regardless there are many other opportunities that are facilitated by decentralized energy
system, but the major concern to ensure the benefits of energy security towards climate
change adaptation is the adoption of appropriate means of energy planning and
management. Energy access should not be increased just for the sake of access only but
needs to be driven by market forces. Mostly in developing countries energy development
are technology driven instead of demand driven (lack of significant role of market forces).
Let us take one example; promotion of micro/mini hydro has a significant role in addressing
the energy security in rural hamlets. But the major challenge on its sustainability is the very
low load factor. If the demand assessment is carried out considering the need of power for
end-uses (agro-processing, rural cottage industries and other income generating activities)
at the core and lighting services as a complimentary role, it has two distinct advantages.
One access to lighting services is easily ascertained and secondly end-uses promotion helps
in sustainable operation of the system, promotes many opportunities of livelihood, which
better address the key functions of resilience as discussed above. In this way adaptation
towards the changes can be materialized.

However on dealing with the issues of climate change adaptation and renewable energy
linkages, the aspect required to be understood and considered seriously is looking after the
vulnerabilities of energy resources and technologies itself. Hence, promotion of energy
technologies needs to be carried out considering two things; one how it will compliment in
addressing to the social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities and secondly how the
development can be initiated that can better address the risk/vulnerabilities on the
technology itself and its associated resources.

The following two Tables provide rough elaboration on how decentralized energy
compliments in the adaptation process and relation of energy security towards climate
change adaptation process.
Table 1: Broad examples of roles of decentralized energy on climate change adaptation

Decentralized Climate Change Adaptation Roles to address vulnerabilities of


Energy Energy Sources
Biogas Livelihood opportunities, land management (by- Support in reducing in pressure to the
product management supporting to increased vulnerable biomass resource bases, which
productivity decrease in in-organic manure), reduction is generally due to land slide, forest fire,
in health impacts, unsustainable management.
Improved Cookstoves Savings from the reduction on expenses which occurs Sustainable biomass energy management
in energy carriers (fuel wood) due to reduction in
consumption, reduction in health impacts
Micro/Mini Hydro Access to lighting energy that stimulates the Reduce pressure on forest resources;
opportunity to promote universal education, transfer promotion of bi-engineering principles
of information and communications, promotes end- together with energy management helps in
uses for livelihood development, water resource reducing vulnerabilities in the energy
management, promotes the need of communities, systems.
groups and networks which are required during the Structural and non structural measures are
extreme events to get rid of the associated problems required to address the issues of
vulnerabilities associated with this
technology. For e.g. construction of
reliable embankment, soil erosion control
measures
Solar Access to lighting energy that stimulates the Vulnerabilities to solar energy is difficult to
opportunity to promote universal education, transfer predict but ensure energy security.
of information and communications, promotes end-
uses for livelihood development, energy for water Reduction of sunny days due to more
pumping and small irrigation services cloudy days, if observed in some places for
more than autonomy days of battery will
affect the utilization of generated energy
for the long run.
Improved Water Mills promotes end-uses for livelihood development, water Vulnerabilities associated with this
resource management technology. For e.g. construction of
reliable embankment, soil erosion control
measures
Wind Energy Access to lighting energy that stimulates the Vulnerabilities to wind energy is difficult to
opportunity to promote universal education, transfer predict, but it reduces pressure on other
of information and communications, promotes end- vulnerable energy carriers.
uses for livelihood development, energy for water
pumping and small irrigation services
Table 2: Energy Security for Climate Change Adaptation

Energy Security Indicators Advantages for Climate Change Adaptation


This implies access to all forms of
This implies for all the productive applications that can be promoted by means of energy services
energy that support in environment, that can significantly address the issues of poverty and exclusions. These refers the reduction of
resource and assets management stress and pressure on natural resource, which could be vulnerable, reduces the impact of climate
change and extreme events due to access to pre-information, access to medical services. These
entire if can be supported by means of energy development.
Access to affordable and convenient  Fuel prices play a significant role in energy policies.
energy technologies through o Lower the prices higher will be the demand of reliable energy sources. This measure
conducive energy policies affect in energy planning process.
o Affordability of clean energy stimulates the dependency on it
o Taxation, incentives to clean energy technologies in building conducive energy policies
help in attracting people towards renewable and clean energy technologies
 Better energy policies attract people towards the dependency on clean and environment
friendly energy carriers
o It promotes the development of rural agro-ecosystem, which have direct and indirect
relation to climate change adaptation process
o Cultivation of biomass feedstock for energy purpose guarantee the reliability of
sustainable supply of energy and support in natural resources and land management
in particular
o Motivates people to grow the sustainable source of energy (liquid biofuel) to partially
substitute the imported fossil fuel. The production of home based energy carriers in a
sustainable means reduces the net export of nation's income. This national account
can be utilized in the development activities, employment generation which play
significant role in poverty alleviation and also supports in increasing the resiliency of
vulnerable population.
 Decentralised energy planning and integration of plan for adaptive decentralized sectoral
development
o Identification of cross-cutting roles of energy in sectoral development
o Sustainability of development approaches
o Linking adaptation measures that stimulates and strengthen the physical, financial,
social, environmental and natural assets of the community.
Availability of efficient energy  Reduction of stress due to unavailability of energy carriers
technologies and access to minimum  Supports in comfort living and provide energy for basic thermal and lighting activities
energy required for reducing energy  Energy Savings through efficiency measures of energy technologies supports in adopting
poverty diversification of energy services, utilization of benefits associated with it on other productive
applications
Availability of energy services for  Provide options on the choices of energy sources and technologies
Productive end-use promotion and  Provide options for not depending on vulnerable energy sources
operation  Provide options for carrying out necessary activities, which increases the resilience of the
community
o Pumping of water for the water shortages clusters
o Pumping of water for small irrigation
o Solar drying to preserve the perishable food materials and supports in food security
 Promote employment and entrepreneurship development
Energy for better health and  Ensure health security
education services o Availability of energy promotes vaccination services in rural areas (refrigeration
energy required for preserving vaccines)
o Promotes preventive measures to combat with the impact on health due to climate
change ( against mosquito related diseases)
 Promotes better education facilities
o Enhance access to information, education and communication materials
o Education mainstreams the socially excluded and poor vulnerable population.
Reliability of available forms of  Ensure the operation of emergency activities that needs to be carried out during the time of
energy extreme events
 Supports in early warning system and its operation in more efficient manner
 Restrict the dependency on environmentally non-friendly energy forms

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