The applications of appropriate renewable energy technologies by the refugees and displaced persons under humanitarian assistance programmes

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue XII, December 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

The applications of appropriate renewable energy technologies by the refugees and displaced persons under humanitarian assistance programmes

Namiz Musafer¹, Nihal Samaratunga¹, P. G. Ajith Kumara^2
1Energy Managers, and Integrated Development Associations, Sri Lanka
²Simple Engineering (Pvt) Ltd

Abstract:-Sri Lanka is an island country situated south of India which has experienced with a large number of refugees and internally displaced persons especially since 1983 due to natural and human induced disasters and events from time to time. This study explores and describes how the displaced communities were supplied with appropriate renewable energy technologies to meet their energy demands as against the electricity generated from diesel generators or by providing expensive petroleum gases which contribute towards environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions while them being comparatively expensive. This study adopted a ‘single longitudinal case study in retrospect’ research approach. As sustainable energy solutions, providing of fuelwood based energy efficient clay cook stoves, solar photovoltaic lighting and water pumping, solar dryers, biogas systems, small wind turbines, and solar-wind hybrids have been introduced to them on an ad hoc basis depending on the interests and priorities of the supporting agencies. The existing national policies do not place an adequate specific attention to the meeting of energy needs of the displaced communities of Sri Lanka.

Introduction

Sri Lanka, an island country situated south of India, has had a large number of refugees and internally displaced persons [hereinafter commonly referred to as ‘displaced communities’] for many years which have been induced byarmed conflict, natural disasters or development schemes. Conflict induced displacement of persons began in 1915 with an ethnic violence, followed by riots in 1958 displacing 12,000 persons (Shamini, 2012). In August 1977, she experienced another conflict-induced displacement due to an ethnic violence in many parts of the country leading to the displacement of about 25,000 persons (Schroder & Stark, 2016). The volume of displacement radically changed in July 1983 in the history of Sri Lankan conflict called ‘Black July’, causing a larger scale displacement (Shamini, 2012). At the end of 1997, there had been 787,877 officially registered internal refugees in Sri Lanka (van Brabant 1998: 151 as cited in Schrijvers, 1999). The Indian Ocean tsunami resulted in a natural disaster induced displacement of over 500,000 persons in 2004, and due to the military operations, over 220,000 persons from the eastern province during 2006-2007, and over 280,000 (estimated) persons from northern and eastern provinces during 2008 – 2009 were displaced in Sri Lanka(Schroder & Stark, 2016). Apart from these major occurrences, other conflict triggered (Ex. riots, ethnic conflicts) and natural disasters (Ex. floods, landslides, cyclones) have transformed thousands of persons into displaced communities.

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