Chapter 11
Sustainable Development, Climate Change,
and Renewable Energy in Rural Central
America
Debora Ley
Abstract Decentralized renewable energy (DRE) projects have the potential to
contribute to climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, and sustainable
development objectives. DRE systems are considered for emissions reduction or
poverty alleviation purposes while their role for climate change adaptation has
hardly been analysed. In terms of adaptation, DRE provides electricity that can be
used both to prepare for and recover from disasters, and to provide additional
income and livelihood opportunities, thus reducing dependency on natural
resources. For example, DRE can power early warning systems, telecommunication
systems, health clinics and potable water systems. Although it might be said that
climate change adaptation applications of DRE systems have already been
implemented, the vulnerability of these systems towards climate impacts, and the
robustness of these systems to climatic impacts are oftentimes not even considered.
The assessment of 15 community-owned renewable energy projects in Guatemala and Nicaragua show that, under certain conditions, renewable energy projects
can simultaneously meet the triple objective of sustainable development and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Research also points to specific drivers
which can facilitate or hinder projects meeting their own stated objectives and,
consequently, the triple objective, and their long-term functioning. These drivers
include the specific background of the beneficiary community, the financing and
implementing entities and the local governance structures in place.
Keywords Renewable energy • Climate change mitigation • Climate change
adaptation • Central America • Sustainable development • Rural electrification •
Evaluation
D. Ley (*)
Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment,
University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
e-mail: debbieannley@yahoo.com
© The Author(s) 2017
J.I. Uitto et al. (eds.), Evaluating Climate Change Action for Sustainable
Development, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-43702-6_11
187
Sustainable Development, Climate Change,
and Renewable Energy in Rural Central
America
Debora Ley
Abstract Decentralized renewable energy (DRE) projects have the potential to
contribute to climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, and sustainable
development objectives. DRE systems are considered for emissions reduction or
poverty alleviation purposes while their role for climate change adaptation has
hardly been analysed. In terms of adaptation, DRE provides electricity that can be
used both to prepare for and recover from disasters, and to provide additional
income and livelihood opportunities, thus reducing dependency on natural
resources. For example, DRE can power early warning systems, telecommunication
systems, health clinics and potable water systems. Although it might be said that
climate change adaptation applications of DRE systems have already been
implemented, the vulnerability of these systems towards climate impacts, and the
robustness of these systems to climatic impacts are oftentimes not even considered.
The assessment of 15 community-owned renewable energy projects in Guatemala and Nicaragua show that, under certain conditions, renewable energy projects
can simultaneously meet the triple objective of sustainable development and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Research also points to specific drivers
which can facilitate or hinder projects meeting their own stated objectives and,
consequently, the triple objective, and their long-term functioning. These drivers
include the specific background of the beneficiary community, the financing and
implementing entities and the local governance structures in place.
Keywords Renewable energy • Climate change mitigation • Climate change
adaptation • Central America • Sustainable development • Rural electrification •
Evaluation
D. Ley (*)
Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment,
University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
e-mail: debbieannley@yahoo.com
© The Author(s) 2017
J.I. Uitto et al. (eds.), Evaluating Climate Change Action for Sustainable
Development, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-43702-6_11
187