Energy access: The new mantra uplifting the urban poor
Rapid urban growth in developing countries has created an unprecedented demand for energy services. Cities face the enormous challenge of improving energy access to urban poor in order to improve their socio-economic conditions. According to UN estimates, about 33% of the population in developing countries lives in slums. The population living in slums is expected to double by 2030 in these countries. This is likely to put tremendous pressure on cities as regards the provision of basic services including energy services to the slum areas. The recently launched partnership between the Cities Alliance (CA) and the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), World Bank recognizes the urgent need to address the issues related to lack of access to energy services and inefficiencies in supply of energy services to urban poor. The partnership identifies improved energy access as an important means of improving socio-economic status and employment opportunities of urban poor, which in turn will help in improving their contribution to economic growth and environmental sustainability at local and national levels.
CA and ESMAP have launched the ‘Energy access for the urban poor initiative’, under the framework of the Cities Alliance’s global program on Land, Services and Citizenship for the Urban Poor (LSCP). The initiative is structured into two parallel components including:
? Working on energy access issues in urban poor communities of select countries and
? Supporting south-to-south knowledge sharing and cooperation between cities and countries on tackling energy access issues for urban poor
The component on south-to-south cooperation focuses on sharing lessons, best practices, and innovative approaches adopted by cities/countries to address the issue of energy access for urban poor. South-to-south cooperation will take place at the practitioner level, namely among those who know the problems and are directly involved in implementing solutions. ESMAP-CA have selected TERI to work on this component of the initiative. TERI is developing a knowledge product that will comprise of a few best practices from developing countries that specifically focused on improving energy access to the urban poor, particularly slum dwellers and pavement dwellers.
CA and ESMAP have launched the ‘Energy access for the urban poor initiative’, under the framework of the Cities Alliance’s global program on Land, Services and Citizenship for the Urban Poor (LSCP). The initiative is structured into two parallel components including:
? Working on energy access issues in urban poor communities of select countries and
? Supporting south-to-south knowledge sharing and cooperation between cities and countries on tackling energy access issues for urban poor
The component on south-to-south cooperation focuses on sharing lessons, best practices, and innovative approaches adopted by cities/countries to address the issue of energy access for urban poor. South-to-south cooperation will take place at the practitioner level, namely among those who know the problems and are directly involved in implementing solutions. ESMAP-CA have selected TERI to work on this component of the initiative. TERI is developing a knowledge product that will comprise of a few best practices from developing countries that specifically focused on improving energy access to the urban poor, particularly slum dwellers and pavement dwellers.