In reality, as some case studies showed, the energy sector and the DRE projects
are vulnerable to extreme climate events and in consequence can increase or
decrease the vulnerability of the populations they serve. DRE projects are
vulnerable to extreme weather events, but can also be designed to enable
adaptive capacity for example through coordinated and equitable use of water
in a watershed.
3. Poor technical designs and lack of appropriate operation and maintenance protocols and practices have prevented DRE projects from meeting their stated
goals. This issue highlights the importance of government regulation or certification that ensures quality and safety codes and standards to avoid deceitful
practices such as selling bad quality and/or pirate/fake components. Even if the
systems are privately owned, there should be government controls in place and
an accountability system so not ‘anybody’ can install systems without having the
appropriate knowledge, training and licenses. Most of the Central American
countries have adopted the US National Electric Code (NEC) although not all
have implemented it. Donors and governments implementing DRE projects
should require the compliance with such codes and standards as well as product
listing. Besides requiring the use of code-compliant components and equipment,
donors and governments should ensure that project installers are also licensed
and certified, ensuring project sustainability and a better use of limited development budgets. Moreover, code compliance will ensure that users will not be
harmed in any way, nor taken advantage of monetarily.
4. One common response received from many system users and technicians was
the need for more intense and periodic training sessions to ensure systems
remain functioning. Two policy recommendations are suggested:
• Set a minimum required budget for socialization and training activities as the
current spending level for this topic is not sufficient to cover users’ needs.
Some government officials interviewed indicated the need to spend up to
10 % of the total infrastructure budget on training.
• Aid program indicators tend prioritize first and foremost the number of
beneficiaries or system users. Because of this, donors are reluctant to allocate
additional budget towards training activities. During the interviews, some
indicated this was unrealistic as there were specific goals for system beneficiaries and re-allocating budgets would mean a smaller number of systems
installed which might be interpreted as inefficient use of the budget. This
point has greater implications if program evaluation was carried out more
periodically: when systems stop working and communities rely once again on
traditional energy sources, statistics are not modified to reflect this and aid
programs do not target these populations anymore as they are already considered ‘electrified’ or ‘benefitted’. To be most effective, indicators must be
both qualitative and quantitative (GEF 2005; Krause and Nordstr€ om 2004).
5. In rural indigenous populations in which other belief systems exist, such as with
Mayan populations, donors and developers need an understanding of the cultural, political, economic and social differences to ensure that the appropriate
11 Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Renewable Energy in Rural. . .
209
are vulnerable to extreme climate events and in consequence can increase or
decrease the vulnerability of the populations they serve. DRE projects are
vulnerable to extreme weather events, but can also be designed to enable
adaptive capacity for example through coordinated and equitable use of water
in a watershed.
3. Poor technical designs and lack of appropriate operation and maintenance protocols and practices have prevented DRE projects from meeting their stated
goals. This issue highlights the importance of government regulation or certification that ensures quality and safety codes and standards to avoid deceitful
practices such as selling bad quality and/or pirate/fake components. Even if the
systems are privately owned, there should be government controls in place and
an accountability system so not ‘anybody’ can install systems without having the
appropriate knowledge, training and licenses. Most of the Central American
countries have adopted the US National Electric Code (NEC) although not all
have implemented it. Donors and governments implementing DRE projects
should require the compliance with such codes and standards as well as product
listing. Besides requiring the use of code-compliant components and equipment,
donors and governments should ensure that project installers are also licensed
and certified, ensuring project sustainability and a better use of limited development budgets. Moreover, code compliance will ensure that users will not be
harmed in any way, nor taken advantage of monetarily.
4. One common response received from many system users and technicians was
the need for more intense and periodic training sessions to ensure systems
remain functioning. Two policy recommendations are suggested:
• Set a minimum required budget for socialization and training activities as the
current spending level for this topic is not sufficient to cover users’ needs.
Some government officials interviewed indicated the need to spend up to
10 % of the total infrastructure budget on training.
• Aid program indicators tend prioritize first and foremost the number of
beneficiaries or system users. Because of this, donors are reluctant to allocate
additional budget towards training activities. During the interviews, some
indicated this was unrealistic as there were specific goals for system beneficiaries and re-allocating budgets would mean a smaller number of systems
installed which might be interpreted as inefficient use of the budget. This
point has greater implications if program evaluation was carried out more
periodically: when systems stop working and communities rely once again on
traditional energy sources, statistics are not modified to reflect this and aid
programs do not target these populations anymore as they are already considered ‘electrified’ or ‘benefitted’. To be most effective, indicators must be
both qualitative and quantitative (GEF 2005; Krause and Nordstr€ om 2004).
5. In rural indigenous populations in which other belief systems exist, such as with
Mayan populations, donors and developers need an understanding of the cultural, political, economic and social differences to ensure that the appropriate
11 Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Renewable Energy in Rural. . .
209