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As
part of DFID's Knowledge and Research programme, the International
and Rural Development Dept at Reading University are conducting
a research project (April 2000 - March 2002) that aims to
bring the subject of rural energy into mainstream extension
networks, and to demonstrate a practical sustainable livelihoods
approach to energy.
Objectives:
The project aims to develop a set of field-tested participatory
tools (PRA) which will help to gain a better understanding
of role of energy in the daily life of rural people. Other
objectives are: the preparation of guidelines (suitable for
inclusion in, for example, the DFID Sustainable Livelihoods
Manual) on energy issues in sustainable livelihoods and on
the use of energy-related PRA methods; and the wider dissemination
of these guidelines through extension and PRA networks.
Methodologies:
Energy is an important aspect of our lives. It is vital to
daily living and, therefore, it is vital for a sustainable
livelihood. So why is it such a poor cousin to agriculture,
water, health and education needs? It is often neglected in
development programme planning, and may not be mentioned in
reports on livelihoods. Good planning practice starts with
consulting the stakeholder community. Many agencies are now
using a whole collection of PRA tools to get communities to
reflect on their own situation. Ideally, this takes place
at the planning stage of a project, and the community, as
a full stakeholder, decides which needs should be tackled
and what problems are to be addressed. So, if energy is an
issue to the community, anyone using PRA tools and techniques
will identify the role of energy within the community's livelihoods.
The project aims to identify organisations in two countries,
Ghana and India, which will adopt and trial PRA tools for
exploring energy issues with rural communities. The starting
point in each country is a workshop of interested organisations.
The second phase will consist of fieldwork at village level
in which selected PRA methodologies will be used and assessed.
Results and Conclusions:
The workshops in the two project locations have been held
(in December 2000 and March 2001). They have revealed a marked
contrast between the situations in the two countries, which
will enhance the project. The Ghanaian partners will be able
to comment on, and explore, the use of the proposed tools
without the baggage of previous projects and national programmes.
The Indian partners have much greater experience of PRA and
also greater energy awareness, so they will be able to comment
on the tools from their experience. The combination of the
two should result in a useful research outcome. The next task
for the project team (currently ongoing) is to adapt the design
of PRA tools based on experience available in both Ghana and
India.
Follow-up Activities:
Partners in Rural Development is a Canadian NGO which is fostering
IRENet (India Rural Energy Network), and has a project to
develop a participatory appraisal tool for renewable energy
projects, once energy is on the agenda. The related DFID-funded
project Development of an Energy Appraisal Tool for Poor Communities
(R7662) could offer the organisation Partners in Rural Development
a usable tool to apply in its investigation of the scope for
renewable energy application in rural areas. There may be
some useful connections, as the IRENet and the R7662 projects
complement each other, addressing slightly different concerns,
all of which are part of the livelihood approach.
Further
Information:
John Best
Agricultural Extension and Rural Development Department (AERDD)
The University of Reading
3 Early Gate Whiteknights Road Reading Berkshire RG6 6AL UK
Tel: +44 118 931 8365; Fax: +44 118 926 1244
Email: j.r.best@reading.ac.uk
Web: http://www.rdg.ac.uk/irdd/jbest.shtml
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