Energy Challenges in the Global South

Energy needs at the global level are gigantic and steadily increasing while the need to reduce carbon emissions is vital if catastrophic climate change is to be avoided. In the Global South, a large part of the population still lacks access to energy, which is crucial for poverty alleviation via the creation of employment and better health and education systems. A great deal of hope is placed on sustainable energy to connect economic growth to increased social equity while preserving the environment. At the same time, energy efficiency and the share of renewable energies in the global energy mix needs to increase unceasingly. This book discusses the challenges of solving complex social and environmental problems with technology in the Global South. While encouraging technology interventions are presented, the limits of technology and the untapped potential of involving women as key stakeholders for energy initiatives constitute also a key focus of this publication. Providing sustainable, reliable, and affordable energy to all will require successful coordination and integration between sectors, stakeholders, policies, infrastructures, and technologies. Promoting renewables, increasing energy efficiency, determinedly addressing the challenges of tailoring solutions to unique socioeconomic contexts, creating local ownership, and aiming for massive upscaling remain the key issues

Land use changes and transnational migration:the impact of remittances in Western Mexico

The present study focuses on the economic, political/institutional, technological, cultural, demographic and environmental drivers of land use change. It aims to understand the factors influencing land use decisions at the household level, in particular the influence of migration. The study is guided by the hypothesis that international migration is driving land use change through the investment of remittances, funds sent back by migrants to their families in the country of origin. This research is based on a political ecology approach and the conceptual framework relies on three theoretical concepts. First, the concepts of proximate causes and driving forces were used to identify the factors behind changing land use. In addition, the concept of remittance landscapes, a concept developed in the framework of this study, which is defined as an emerging type of landscape driven by the investment of remittances, was used to evaluate the impact of remittances on land use in the study area. Fieldwork was conducted in the municipality of Autlán in the state of Jalisco in Mexico over a total period of 8 months between 2002 and 2004. Land use changes between 1990 and 2000 were quantified based on satellite image analysis. Underlying driving forces of these changes were examined based on land use change data collected by survey as well as data available from municipal, state and federal agencies. Land use changes observed in the study area between 1990 and 2000 include a slight increase of agricultural land (2%), of urban land cover (0.5%) and of pine-oak forest (0.7%). Over the same period, pasture increased by 18% while dry forest decreased by 10%. Rapid and extensive land use change is occurring on rainfed agricultural land, as maize cultivation is converted to the cultivation of agave azul used for the production of tequila. The first plantations of agave azul were established in 1996 and by 2002, agave azul was planted on 33% of all rainfed agricultural land of the municipality. 84% of owners of rainfed land included in the survey had changed land use from maize to agave during this time period. The dynamics of several proximate causes are driving this change: 1) Market prices for maize decreased by 46% between 1994 and 2004 while the costs for agricultural inputs continually increased so that the cultivation of rainfed maize was no longer economically profitable; 2) The variability of rainfall combined with a lack of irrigation water limits the choice of economically viable alternatives to agave azul; 3) In the large majority of cases, landowners rent out their land to tequila companies in reverse leasing arrangements for seven-year periods (the duration of one growing cycle of agave azul). During this time they do not have to work on their own fields and are free to find off-farm employment or to migrate to the US and; 4) Landowners continue to receive agricultural subsidies even though the land is rented out, as agave azul is one of the eligible crops. Overall, the main driving forces identified in the study area are economic (market prices), environmental (variability of rainfall, soil quality, topography), political/institutional (agricultural subsidies, land tenure) and demographic (labor availability). Technology and culture appear to be less important. Results of the present study confirm the hypothesis that global factors, especially international trade agreements such as NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) increasingly influence land use change. However, they are not sufficient to function as a sole driver of land use change. Environmental factors are a critical determinant of whether a certain land use change will occur or not. The decisive aspect behind the observed land use changes are the multiple interactions between specific factors at different levels and not the predominance of one particular driving force functioning at a particular level. International migration is a significant livelihood strategy in the study area, especially for lower-income communities. On average, 50% of all households have or had at least one family member in the US as a migrant between 1980 and 2004, and remittances represent 45% of total household income. In general, the bulk of remittances income is used for subsistence needs and to repay debts. Nevertheless, on average, 30% of migrant households invest remittances in land, livestock, agricultural production and in house construction. All these investments lead to land use changes. The impact of remittances on land use changes is variable, and depends on the socio-economic, political and environmental context of the community and the individual situation of the migrant household. In low-income communities, remittances might be used to repair existing housing, while in higher-income communities, remittances are used to construct a new house, converting agricultural to urban land. With regard to changes in labor availability due to out-migration, the results are ambiguous. Migration can drive land use change by encouraging a shift to low-labor land use systems, but these land use changes that require less labor can also drive migration. The concept of remittance landscape developed by the researcher has proved useful for analysing the impact of remittances on land use changes. A combination of area-based and actor-based evaluation criteria are effective in order to describe quantitative as well as qualitative landscape transformations driven by the investment of remittances. Landscapes where the investment of remittances leads to a change of land use from subsistence to cash crop cultivation should be included as a potential type of remittance landscape, even though the basic type of the landscape (agricultural) remains unchanged. Accordingly, at least six different types of transformations into remittance landscapes are possible: a) forest to pasture, b) forest to agriculture, c) forest to urban, d) agriculture to pasture, e) agriculture to urban and f) change of agricultural system. In conclusion, the study area on which this research focused is not considered to contain any remittance landscapes because remittances are only partially driving the extensive land use changes occuring in the region

Technologies for Development: From Innovation to Social Impact

This open access book presents 18 case studies that explore current scientific and technological efforts to address global development issues, such as poverty, from a holistic and interdisciplinary point of view, putting actual impacts at the centre of its analysis. It illustrates the use of technologies for development in various fields of research, such as humanitarian action, medical and information and communication technology, disaster risk-reduction technologies, habitat and sustainable access to energy. The authors discuss how innovative technologies, such as unmanned aerial vehicles for disaster risk reduction, crowdsourcing humanitarian data, online education and ICT-based medical technologies can have significant social impact. The book brings together the best papers of the 2016 International Conference on Technologies for Development at EPFL, Switzerland. The book explores how the gap between innovation in the global South and actual social impact can be bridged. It fosters exchange between engineers, other scientists, practitioners and policy makers active at the interface of innovation and technology and human, social, and economic development

A new Approach for Structure from Motion Underwater Pile-Field Documentation

For a pilot study carried out by the University of Bern together with local partners in Summer 2018 at the pile-dwelling site Bay of Bones (Rep. of Macedonia), a new workflow for underwater pile-field documentation was developed. The site lies in shallow water of 3–5 meters depth and the most obvious constructive remains of the prehistoric settlement are thousands of wooden piles. The piles, mainly of oak and juniper, are excellently preserved in the lake sediments. The aim of the project was to document and sample 40 m2 surface area of the pile-field and the dendrochronological analysis of the samples. Dendrochronological sampling requires cutting the top-ends of the piles and thus changes the preserved situation. Therefore beforehand documentation must ensure the localization of each pile on a map. This calls for a method that ensures a) that every pile is distinctly labeled and b) the location of each pile is accurately captured. While on land, this can easily be achieved, underwater working conditions complicate common procedures. E.g. by measuring with a folding ruler from a local grid, there is later no way to evaluate measuring mistakes or the internal error of the local grid. In addition, for unpracticed divers measuring by hand underwater is not only time-consuming but also tends a lot more to erroneous results than on land. The goal was therefore to find a time-saving, accurate and easy to carry out way to locate the positions of several hundred piles in shallow water. The best solution for us to achieve these goals was a new standardized and reproducible workflow with Structure from Motion (SfM). The applied approach for underwater SfM-documentation includes on-site workflow and post-processing. The on-site workflow covers all steps from the preparation of the archaeological structures to the photographic data acquisition, the calculation of a preliminary 3D-model and its on-site verification. The crucial step was to ensure the suitability for modeling of the data before the situation underwater was irreversibly changed through sampling. Post-processing was carried out in Adobe Photoshop, Agisoft PhotoScan and QGIS where the data was optimized in quality and standardized from digital image processing to the construction of a georeferenced orthomosaic. Applying these results, we can later visualize patterns in the spatial distribution of the piles concerning e.g. their age, their size or their wood species. This will lead to answers regarding architecture, internal chronology, and in-site settlement dynamics. With this newly standardized two-step-workflow for underwater structure documentation, we are able to asses and compare the quality of each orthomosaic in a reproducible way. The presented method is highly promising for underwater-documentation of prehistoric pile-fields, yielding accurate digital plans in an efficient and cost-saving way.</p

Preface: Special Section on Energy and Food Security in a Humanitarian Context

Natural disasters, population growth, social conflicts, and political or structural crises give rise to forced migrations, which can lead to humanitarian emergencies. According to the “UNHCR annual global trends report”, 65.6 million people were displaced at the end of 2016, which is the largest number of refugees or internally displaced persons on record. In this context, the issue of food security plays a central role. In fact, insufficient access to food and potable water leads to malnutrition and poor health, enhances various causes of mortality, and creates a state of permanent emergency.Access to energy is a crucial factor in addressing major challenges in humanitarian and refugee settings. Globally, over 1.3 billion people lack access to electricity and 2.6 billion people are without clean cooking facilities. More than 95% of these people live in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia,and 84% are in communities not reliably connected to energy grids.Given this challenge, we urgently need sustainable energy technologies to provide efficient, reliable and equitable access to basic services such as cooking, food preservation, medical services and water supply. Research on the optimization of appropriate technologies for sustainable access to energy services is, therefore, pivotal. The papers in this special section on energy and food security clearly illustrate the fact that one single solution based on a pre-determined technology mix does not exist. However, a number of promising developments are underway, using appropriate technologies that match needs with available resources in a sustainable wa

Technologies for Development. What is Essential?

Technological innovation is vital for finding solutions to key challenges the world is facing. Climate change, pollution, disease, rising inequalities, and chronic poverty all need to be addressed. We need renewable energy sources, efficient transport networks, functioning public health systems, well-designed infrastructure, improved agricultural systems, and access to quality education for everyone. Technologies for development play a key role as pathways to sustainable development. Developing and emerging countries can take advantage of technological leapfrogging in key domains such as health (mHealth), energy (solar, wind, and hydropower), education (massive open online courses [MOOCs]), urban development (smart cities), and agriculture (precision farming). Developing and emerging countries could even surpass high-income countries in the use of information and communication technology (ICTs). We can expect technological innovation to be increasingly developed in the Global South and to become a source of inspiration for the Global North. Living labs, open-source, and open innovation movements are growing trends that will support and accelerate the development of effective technologies

Community-based landslide risk reduction: a review of a Red Cross soil bioengineering for resilience program in Honduras

Effective long-term participation of communities in disaster risk reduction measures in landslide-prone areas continues to be a challenge. This study aims to evaluate the extent to which community-based soil-bioengineering techniques allow for effective mitigation of shallow landslide events given technical, environmental, economic and socio-cultural sustainability criteria. The Red Cross has been implementing community-based disaster risk reduction programs aimed at increasing resilience at the community level in Honduras since 2005. Since 2010, 230 landslide hazard sites have been stabilized using soil-bioengineering measures (the use of living plant material to provide certain engineering functions) based on a carefully and systematically developed partnership with local communities. In 2018, an assessment of 73 sites established between 2010 and 2014 showed that (1) 83% of the sites were adequately maintained and (2) 69% of the sites fulfilled the function of soil stabilization. A cost-benefit analysis was conducted for two sites and indicated a cost-benefit ratio of 4.5 and 6 respectively. Some of the key factors for these high success rates include the fact that bioengineering is a locally adapted, easily implemented, cost-effective technology that offers landowners multiple benefits by increasing food security and creating income-generation opportunities. The Red Cross has recognized the importance of empowering communities by building self-confidence so that they can ultimately take responsibility for their own future. The creation of well-functioning local emergency committees has proven highly effective in achieving this goal. When adequately trained, these committees are able to support the replication and maintenance of disaster-risk reduction measures at the community-level in the long term. This case study supports the hypothesis that carefully designed participatory approaches are essential for achieving sustainable, long-term transformative change and risk reduction