Energy

Energy usage, including for cooking and electricity, can often pose the greatest environmental impact in a humanitarian response. Addressing challenges of integrating sustainable energy solutions into the humanitarian programming and the program cycle can enhance positive impacts in clusters such as Health, Protection, Food Security, Shelter and Settlements and WASH. See the Global Food Security Cluster’s guidance on integrating energy into the humanitarian programme cycle.

The identification of sustainable energy solutions in acute emergency settings involve the following activities (adapted from IASC Task Force on SAFE):

• Assess local options for/support non-woodfuel-intensive livelihoods programmes (non-wood forest products, farming/fishing/agro-forestry, kitchen gardening, etc.) at earliest response stages, including through subsidisation if needed
• Support development/use of alternative fuels/energy technologies as means of decreasing time spent collecting firewood/cooking and increasing time available to women to participate in productive activities/non-woodfuel-intensive income-generation activities

The identification of sustainable energy solutions in a protracted crisis and post-crisis setting involve the following (adapted from IASC Task Force on SAFE):

• Reduce dependence on collection/sale of wood as Income Generating Activities by continuing to lead efforts to re-establish non-woodfuel-intensive livelihoods programmes
• Support development of alternative fuels/energy technologies as Income Generating Activities (where feasible), including Fuel-efficient Stove manufacture, etc.
• Promote gender-responsive Income Generating Activities strategies that directly contribute to sound environmental management (reforestation instead of woodfuel-intensive Income Generating Activities, etc.)
• Engage in skills-building/awareness-raising campaigns to reduce gendered division of tasks/labour, including firewood collection
• Promote alternative fuels/energy technologies over long term by gathering/disseminating technical information re: economic/food security benefits; requiring sustainable fuel strategies to be incorporated by implementing partners
• Determine if agricultural residues can become part of a sustainable fuel strategy
• Work with environment partners/local authorities to ensure that rules/regulations regarding illegal charcoal making/wood trading are enforced; subsidise non-woodfuel-intensive livelihoods activities if needed
• Work with environment partners to establish programmes for natural resource renewal/regeneration
• Provide milling facilities as livelihoods activity to minimise trading food items to offset milling costs
• Support sustainable farming methods/technologies (agro-forestry and/or permaculture) to increase availability of cooking fuel/fresh food that does not require cooking

The energy for displaced people challenge can be divided into two very different consumer groups:

1. Displaced population
   Displaced persons, both in camps and dispersed in the host population, have limited energy needs, including primarily cooking and very low levels of electrical power. This is however a difficult customer base, being poor, mobile, often not creditworthy and unemployed. Woody biomass often remains the main source of fuel, coming at great cost to the environment. Degradation of forests contributes to soil erosion, flash flooding, surface water pollution and possibly limiting livelihoods opportunities and negatively impacting food security. Competition over natural resources such as fuel wood can also increase tensions with hosts communities. Increased access to reliable alternative energy sources can decrease or avoid pressures on the environment. USAID has guidelines on improved cooking fuels and on small scale energy technologies. It is important to remember the impact that a displaced community can have on access to energy by the host community, as well as conflicts that can arise if, for example, wood is in short supply.
2. Organisations mandated to support the displaced
   Humanitarian assistance itself, sitting in off-grid compounds, has significant energy needs. As a consequence of low in-house technical capacity and the absence of capital budgets, these are often reliant on fossil-fuel powered generators. This results in often higher costs (depending on time span and fossil fuel prices) than sustainable energy products and services. To fill capacity gaps across the energy value chain, the Norwegian Refugee Council through NORCAP funds a central roster of energy expert consultants and the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves has developed a standard curriculum for energy experts.