resources

BR25: Concluding workshop for Smart Villages engagement programmes in South and Southeast Asia – Policy Recommendations

Policy Briefs /

The Smart Villages Initiative concluded its regional engagement in South and Southeast Asia with a workshop in Bangkok, Thailand, in March 2017. The workshop was jointly organised with the Global Young Academy (GYA), the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), and the National Science Museum (NSM) of Thailand. From 7 to 9 March 2017, the workshop brought together 43 key stakeholders representing …

BR25: Concluding workshop for Smart Villages engagement programmes in South and Southeast Asia – Policy Recommendations Read More »

WR32: Energy planning from the bottom up: community-led approaches West Africa

Workshop Reports /

As the world moves towards 2030, the deadline of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) Initiative, it is important to review the achievements of the past few years and readjust our path to meet the goal. For this reason, Practical Action together with the Smart Villages Initiative held a one-day regional workshop on rural energy …

WR32: Energy planning from the bottom up: community-led approaches West Africa Read More »

BR24: Rural Energy Access Planning in Togo – Policy Brief

Policy Briefs /

As the world moves towards 2030, the deadline for achieving the targets of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) Initiative, it is important to review the achievements of the past years and readjust our path to meet the goal. For this reason, Practical Action together with the Smart Villages Initiative held a one-day regional workshop …

BR24: Rural Energy Access Planning in Togo – Policy Brief Read More »

TR10: Indigenous communities, ICT and rural development

Technical Reports /

The vast majority of the rural development literature focuses on relatively homogenous ethnolinguistic communities based in periurban and middle-rural areas. This literature has borne much fruit and there is now a general consensus among academics, practitioners and policy makers on the broad parameters of what is required to catalyse rural development in these areas, though …

TR10: Indigenous communities, ICT and rural development Read More »

TR9: Business models for mini-grids

Technical Reports /

This report focuses on mini-grids that generate a substantial portion of electricity using renewable energy sources. The IEA (2011) estimates that mini-grids are the best solution for providing electricity to 45% of the rural population without access to electricity. Mini-grids can utilise locally available energy sources such as wind, solar, biomass, and hydro. Using locally available renewable energy sources has the advantage of low …

TR9: Business models for mini-grids Read More »

WR31: Sustainable energy resources for risk management and resilience of communities in Latin America and the Caribbean

Workshop Reports /

Leading experts from across Latin America and the Caribbean were brought together for a work-shop in Quito, Ecuador, on 30 January 2017 to discuss the challenges and opportunities of building resilience to natural disasters of villages in the region, with a particular concern for the contribution of energy services. Key points made in the presentations …

WR31: Sustainable energy resources for risk management and resilience of communities in Latin America and the Caribbean Read More »

BR23: Building rural resilience to natural disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean through smart villages

Policy Briefs /

The resilience of rural communities to natural disasters and other shocks is an important issue for rural villages; hard-won development gains can all too readily be lost through natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, droughts, and floods. This is particular so for countries in Latin America and the Caribbean which are at risk from a …

BR23: Building rural resilience to natural disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean through smart villages Read More »

WR30: Smart Villages in Haiti: “Energy Week”

Top Story, Workshop Reports /

In Haiti and other islands in the Caribbean, the need is not just for energy access. Communities and villages need to be more resilient to natural disasters and other socioeconomic shocks such as internal conflict, fuel price fluctuations etc. Off-grid energy and innovative use of energy to provide decentralized services such as healthcare and education …

WR30: Smart Villages in Haiti: “Energy Week” Read More »

TR8: The future of DC systems for the off-grid environment

Technical Reports /

Rural areas that are not connected to an electricity grid are nevertheless seeking to increase their use of electricity to support services such as healthcare, education, and entertainment, and for productive uses to increase incomes. Such increases in electricity use in rural communities—“ climbing the energy ladder”—require a step-change in electricity provision to currently off-grid households. The supply of electricity through centralised generation and …

TR8: The future of DC systems for the off-grid environment Read More »

TR7: Energy and agriculture for smart villages in India

Technical Reports /

The concept of the “smart village”, as developed by the Smart Villages Initiative, is that modern energy access acts as a catalyst for development—education, health, food security, productive enterprise, environment, and participatory democracy—which in turn supports further improvements in energy access. In the global context, energy access can provide a much needed driver for sustainable economic growth and development for …

TR7: Energy and agriculture for smart villages in India Read More »

WR29: Central America, Caribbean and Mexico – Smart Villages Media Dialogue

Workshop Reports /

This sixth media workshop of the Smart Villages project took place in November 2016 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. This followed the main regional workshop reported on separately, but to which the journalists were also invited. The general theme of  rural development, resilience, and recovery as renewable energy dividends seemed particularly newsworthy in view of …

WR29: Central America, Caribbean and Mexico – Smart Villages Media Dialogue Read More »

BR21: Sustainable energy for rural development and climate-resilience of off-grid communities in Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico

Policy Briefs /

The Smart Villages Initiative together with the National Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic held a workshop on 16-18 November 2016 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, to discuss the challenges to, and opportunities for, the provision of clean energy services to rural communities in Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico. The workshop explored the …

BR21: Sustainable energy for rural development and climate-resilience of off-grid communities in Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico Read More »

WR28: Sustainable energy for rural development & climate resilience of off-grid communities in Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico

Workshop Reports /

Although the energy situation in Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico is not uniform across all the countries in the region, many of them face some common issues and challenges. With some exceptions, nearly all countries in Central America and the Caribbean are net oil and fossil fuel importers, putting them in an uncertain position …

WR28: Sustainable energy for rural development & climate resilience of off-grid communities in Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico Read More »

WR27: Smart Villages in India – State level insights

Workshop Reports /

The discussions in both state-level workshops in India discussed in this report revealed that the biggest gains from an integrated sustainability solution for the smart city-smart village linkage would be to address the challenge of youth unemployment in both rural and informal urban communities. The introduction of disruptive technologies that generate the opportunity for rural youth to learn new skills—installing and maintaining rural …

WR27: Smart Villages in India – State level insights Read More »

WR26: Energy and agriculture for smart villages in India

Workshop Reports /

This report summarises the presentations and discussion at a workshop held at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Telangana, India from 21 to 23 September 2016. The workshop organised jointly by the Smart Villages Initiative and ICRISAT focused on energy for agriculture in smart villages and its potential to catalyse productive enterprises that add value to agri-business and the …

WR26: Energy and agriculture for smart villages in India Read More »

BR20: Findings from the workshop on energy and agriculture for smart villages in India

Policy Briefs, Resources, Top Story /

Agriculture continues to be central to the lives and economies of rural communities in India. Many of those communities have little or no access to modern energy services. These realities motivated the holding of the workshop “Energy and agriculture for smart villages in India” in September 2016 at the International Crops Research Institute for the …

BR20: Findings from the workshop on energy and agriculture for smart villages in India Read More »

WR25: The water, energy, and food nexus: Lessons from West Africa

Workshop Reports /

Agricultural activities account for 70% of global water usage. Food production and the associated supply chain account for about 30% of total global energy consumed. While there is an awareness of the water, energy, and food (WEF) nexus, there is a lack of effective and integrated initiatives to address it. As described by the United Nations: “The global community is well aware …

WR25: The water, energy, and food nexus: Lessons from West Africa Read More »

WR24: West Africa Dialogue for Media Professionals

Workshop Reports /

As an integral part of that activity, the Smart Villages Initiative aims to raise public awareness of rural energy access issues, sustainable energy technologies, and entrepreneurial approaches to energy in the developing world. To help meet this goal, we seek to promote objective, informed, and balanced coverage of the issues, challenges, and opportunities through media dialogue events for both regional and international …

WR24: West Africa Dialogue for Media Professionals Read More »

Scroll to Top