June 5, World Environment Day
Intervida reminds us that 1.6 billion people are still without electricity, especially in the rural areas of the world
Madrid (04/06/2008). In light of World Environment Day, INTERVIDA reminds us of the inequalities suffered by thousands of people, especially in poor countries and rural areas which do not have electricity. This great deficiency, which seriously limits well-being and development opportunities, affects 1.6 billion people around the world, according to data from the United Nations.
Access to energy is a reality which shows the gap between the rich and the poor, and the social and economic inequalities this implies and its repercussions. Given the lack of any other type of energy, these people are obliged to use candles and kerosene, which in adobe and straw houses increases the risk of fires, and firewood for things as basic as cooking, heating and lighting. Burning wood inside the home contaminates inside air and provokes the appearance of ocular diseases and acute respiratory tract infections, which kill more than a million children under 5 each year. The consumption of firewood also directly affects deforestation, another large-scale environmental problem, since the forests help to absorb part of green house gas emissions and protect against soil erosion, in addition to its key role in the maintenance of the water cycle.
Those who most suffer from this deficiency are generally poor people living in rural areas, where many communities live far from distribution networks and where the competent authorities or entities do not always want to invest in the necessary infrastructures, since these are not economically beneficial. This situation exists in El Salvador, a country where 24% of rural home still lack electricity and where 13% use kerosene, according to the 2006 Multipurpose Household Survey. The demand for firewood for residential use exceeds a sustainable supply and this, combined with other factors, increases deforestation to an estimated average of 4,500 hectares per year, according to the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources.
INTERVIDA is counting on renewable energies in this country as an alternative way to satisfy the most basic needs of the families while also caring for the environment. In particular, the organization works on projects using photovoltaic solar energy to electrify homes and schools, currently benefiting more than 150 families and over 1,000 students. These systems provide them with light, radio, television, and in the case of bas weather, have autonomous use during 5 days. In the case of the schools, it is now possible to open night classes for adults, and to use audiovisual and IT materials.
Renewable energies are also being used to cover other non-electrical energy deficiencies in the domestic setting. For example, experiences are being developed with the installation of wood-saving stoves, solar kitchens and biodigestors.
The installation of wood-saving stoves helps to reduce respiratory and ocular infections since these improve the home atmosphere by expelling smoke through chimneys; these also maintain the heat of the burning wood for a long time, making it possible for families to save 50% in firewood use.
Solar kitchens, thanks to sunlight and basic and attainable materials, such as glass, plastic, aluminum paper and a black plate, serve for cooking food, pasteurizing water, drying fish or grains, and sterilizing utensils, among other things.
Finally, the latest experience has been the construction of a pilot biodigestor, for the recycling and transformation of organic waste– for example, animal excrement and vegetable scraps– to produce gas (biogas) and fertilizer.
About INTERVIDA
FUNDACIÓN INTERVIDA is a nonpartisan, nondenominational and independent development NGO in special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Its objective is to contribute to sustainable human development towards improving the living conditions of the most disadvantaged communities around the world. Currently, INTERVIDA is active in various countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia, offering its support to nearly five million people.
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