The lack of electricity at all is one of the most important problems of people living in poor Countries. In fact the electricity is basic for all the human needs and also for the economic activities. Actually the development of a Country is linked even to a growth on the economic activities and so the coming of the electrification can help the expansion of the commercial and productive activities. In this way, through rural electrification, Poor Countries can improve their lifestyle.
More important is that the electricity, through the Rural Electrification, has impact on social aspects as:
education of children, the health of everybody and the availability of the water into the remote villages. If we just think to only these three aspects we immediately become aware that the Rural Electrification is a good cause for which all Governments should do their best.
Let’s think about the importance of energy on Health. There are a lot of appliances that can’t work without electricity. For example vaccines need refrigeration for their storage, medical tools have to been sterilized, medical checks and even operations can be performed only before the sunset if the electricity is missing, communications with medical specialist requires a reliable network, and even more.
Let’s think how energy can affect Education. In fact schools need electricity for the classrooms but even need electricity to access internet which have a positive impact on the education. Some activities linked to schools as laboratory, internet, practical test at laboratories, need the electricity. Moreover teachers need the current technologies to be more attractive and to be always updated on their school subjects. Without electricity students haven’t the possibility to study in the evening and they may become discouraged in their desire to learn and leave prematurely the studies. Also a school without sanitation, water, cooking and lighting facilities can decrease the parent’s willingness to leave the children go to schools or collages. On the other hand, considering the discomfort to work on a school in these far rural areas, it can often happen that teachers are not tempted to live in these areas but they move to more attractive areas where they can work in more suitable schools. So, linked to the lack of electricity, there is even the difficult of scouting teachers in the same poor rural areas.
How provision of water is connected to energy. The electricity is required for pumping the water from the sources (lakes, small basins, rivers, underground aquifers). Water actually is joined to drinking, cooking, cleaning, health and hygiene. The electricity is required in all the water treatment systems that are able to purify water and make it drinkable by people. Also, water has a role on agriculture through the irrigation and on pastoral activities for the animals and these are very important for the sustenance of people in rural and poor areas. The coming of energy through rural electrification can improve the products from the ground and increase the quality and quantity of foods of people.
Although the lack of energy can’t be considered the principal cause for social disadvantages in Poor Countries, of course the lack of energy is an obstacle to benefit of education, health and water. So, Rural Electrification represents something more than the improving of energy services into some remote areas of the Globe but Rural Electrification represents a challenge for all Developed Countries and for all the Non-Governmental Organizations to make sure that in the coming decade as more people as possible rural areas can benefit of these social and primary advantages.
With the aim to answer to the energy needs for these poor rural areas, Desert Technologies has developed a reliable plug & play, stand-alone system which supports remote villages which haven’t the availability of the power generated by the grid. This SAHARA system can be customized according to the requirements and the needs of the different customers.
Mainly SAHARA can be considered a valid solution placed in the middle between the current reality of rural areas, with lack of electricity, and the near future when the rural electrification will go ahead and as more as possible rural areas will be connected to the grid and they will be less “far” to the rest of the Globe.
Eng. Serena Chiucchiù
Tender Manager at desert technologies
