| Project Id
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BRJP26100090
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| Project Detail
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| Project Title
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Do solar energy infrastructures strengthen the disaster resilience of people? Exploring the linkage between renewable energy, disaster resilience and development in disaster affected low lying areas
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| Senior Supervision Team (BITS)
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| Supervisor name and Title
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Mohan Kumar Bera
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School or Department (or company, if applicable)
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BITS PILANI, GOA CAMPUS
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Email ID
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mohanb@goa.bits-pilani.ac.in
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| URL for more info
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https://www.bits-pilani.ac.in/goa/mohan-kumar-bera/
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| a) Are you currently supervising a BITS or RMIT HDR student?
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YES
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| Please comment how many you are supervising
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4
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| b) Have you supervised an offshore candidate before?
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NO
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| If no, what support structures do you have in place?
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| If yes, please elaborate
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N
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| Senior Supervision Team (RMIT)
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| Supervisor name and Title
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Lucy Lunevich
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School or Department (or company, if applicable)
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STEM
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Email ID
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lucy.lunevich@rmit.edu.au
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| URL for more info
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https://www.rmit.edu.au/profiles/l/lucy-lunevich
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| a) Are you currently supervising a BITS or RMIT HDR student?
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YES
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| Please comment how many you are supervising
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1
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| b) Have you supervised an offshore candidate before?
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NO
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| If no, what support structures do you have in place?
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|
| If yes, please elaborate
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N
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| Other Supervisors (BITS)
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| Supervisor name and Title
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School or Department (or company, if applicable)
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| Phone Number (Optional)
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Email ID
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| URL for more info
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| Other Supervisors (RMIT)
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| Supervisor name and Title
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School or Department (or company, if applicable)
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| Phone Number (Optional)
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Email ID
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| URL for more info
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| Field of Research (For Codes)
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| 160802 | Environmental Sociology | 25.00 |
| 350703 | Disaster and emergency management | 50.00 |
| 440602 | Development geography | 25.00 |
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| Project Description
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There is growing demand to explore the potential linkage between SDG-7 (which emphasises energy) and SDG-13 (which emphasises climate actions). In this context, the primary goal is to develop a conceptual link between access to energy and climate adaptation. Researchers have claimed that access to energy is a critical enabler for development. It is also important to see the relationship between access to energy and development practices.
Researchers claimed that appropriate integration of energy works as a catalyst for rural development activities (Gevelt et al., 2018). But it is not clear how energy influences climate adaptation capacities and development outcomes. The role of the modern energy system has been given emphasis for post-disaster recovery and reconstruction globally.
The access to energy becomes crucial for increasing climate threats on vulnerable communities in the world. It is also established that development planning and practices are influenced by the positive outcome of access to energy and climate adaptation efforts.
Electricity supply is very essential in disaster affected areas to fulfil the services during an emergency. Studies have found that coastal regions are highly prone to saline water flooding and cyclones due to climate change (Hoque et al.,2019). The hydro-climatic natural hazards often affect the electric supply and therefore, disaster mitigation measures are affected.
Solar power is one of the most reliable sources of energy when traditional power grids are susceptible to damage during disasters. Solar energy infrastructures operate individually and generate power when the main grid fails and provide a stable supply of energy. Solar power becomes an ideal off-grid solution in disaster affected areas having limited sources of conventional energy. Solar power becomes essential for emergency shelters, providing emergency health and communication services. As per Scott et al., (2017) solar energy based power supply increase the three core resilience capacities namely anticipatory, adaptive and absorptive capacities of vulnerabilities people in rural areas.
Therefore, the present mixed methdological research will explore how solar energy contribute to the lives and livelihood of people living with disasters. The study will analyse how the solar energy resource contribute coping mechanism of households after disaster. The study will also explore the relationship between solar energy uses and disaster resilience and well
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| Project Deliverable/Outcomes
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The challenges of accessing energy are multi-dimensional. Therefore the UN and World Bank have adopted a multi-tier energy access framework that explores the multi-dimensional aspects of energy access. The main dimensions to access energy depend on capacity, duration, reliability, affordability, legality and safety. Last a decade, solar energy has become popular because of the reduced cost of solar PV, innovations and its sustainability. Since a large part of low lying areas such as Sundarban islands are not connected with the grid, solar energy become sources of energy. However, existing research does not say whether solar energy contribute to disaster resilience or not. Therefore, present study explore the relationship between the uses of solar energy and disaster resilience in flood prone areas.
There is an increasing production of renewable energy to contribute to climate mitigation by reducing consumption of fossil fuels. However, there is sufficient evidence of the role of energy access in poverty alleviation and development. There is a lack of research that explains the role of energy access in climate change adaptation. Now, the question is whether the relationship between access to energy and climate adaptation has any linkage or not? What is the role of modern energy services in building resilience and strengthening adaptation of the community?
Research has found that poor people are not able to access solar energy equipment. Financial organisations are reluctant to provide credit to poor people. Study will explore whether the households in disaster affected areas need to access the energy from the national grid or solar energy. The financial capacities of the poor people may not always restrict access to energy. Access to private solar energy generation systems is difficult for poor households. If the cost is the challenge, then study will explore alternative ways to access solar power. There is a possibility of a community centric joint project in which citizens, government and private companies will be the integrated parts of the system.
The study will contribute not only to renewable energy policy, but also contribute to policies in climate change adaptation.
Emphasising solar energy at the household level energy solutions will reduce energy poverty at the grassroots level.
The present research will not only address the access to clean energy at the household level, but establish a linkage between the SDG-7 and SDG-9.
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| Research Impact Themes
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| BETTER HEALTH OUTCOMES | AFFORDABLE HEALTH AND PREVENTABLE DISEASES |
| ENHANCED LIVABILITY AND URBAN FUTURES | SMART CITIES, WATER STEWARDSHIP AND EFFECTIVE WATER USE |
| SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT
| SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CHALLENGES IN ENERGY, WATER, FOOD, FINANCIAL MARKETS AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND PREVENTING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION |
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| Which RMIT Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) does your project align to
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CLIMATE ACTION
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| Which RMIT Enabling Impact Platform (EIP) does your project align to
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SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGIES AND SYSTEMS PLATFORM
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| Which RMIT Program code will this project sit under?
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DR216P23 PhD (Mech,Manu & Mech Eng)
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| Student Capabilities and Qualifications
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MA/MSc
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Knowledge in qualitative and quantitative methods
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MSc
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| Preferred discipline of Student
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| Disaster Relief & Management |
| Environmental Science |
| Geography, Geoinformatics, Geoscience |
| Social Sciences, Sociology |
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