Energy for development: The concept

• Main Authors: HOLMES J., VAN GEVELT, Terry
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2015
• Subjects: Urban Studies; Urban Studies and Planning
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cis_research/36; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/cis_research/article/1035/viewcontent/Smart_villages_v9_Layout_1.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Worldwide, 1.3 billion people remain without access to electricity and 2.7 billion are still cooking on harmful and inefficient stoves1 . Many live in remote rural village communities, and until they have access to energy services, little progress can be made to develop and improve their lives2 . As United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stated, “energy is the golden thread that connects economic growth, increased social equity, and an environment that allows the planet to thrive”3 . Improving the lives of rural communities by developing smart villages is a concept analogous to the more familiar smart cities. The vision for smart villages is that modern energy access can act as a catalyst for development – in education, health, food security, productive enterprise, clean water and sanitation, environmental sustainability and participatory democracy – which in turn supports further improvements in access to energy. Integrating energy access with other development initiatives, harnessing and developing local entre - preneurial capacities, and technological advances in the supply and use of sustainable energy are making such transformative change possible.