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National High School Model United Nations 2015 HLPF reflects in their high malnutrition and child mortality rates. 163 All of these indicators demonstrate the low socio-economic development of these countries, caused by their evident “weak human and institutional capacities.” 164 Although some of these characteristics are present in other developing countries, LDCs are not ordinary developing states. LDCs are considered such because their rates of underdevelopment are at such severe levels that they need special assistance to grow or advance. The lack of governance and strong institutions in these countries cause great income disparities and uneven wealth distribution. This ultimately exacerbates poverty, corruption, and political instability, which hinders the development potential of these countries. As a result, LDCs are often immersed in external or internal conflicts, have undiversified and low-resilience economies, are susceptible to external shocks, and are highly dependent on external markets. 165 This causes the LDCs to have very low “management capacity, weaknesses in program design and implementation, chronic external deficits, high debt burdens, and heavy dependence on external financing, all of which have kept LDCs in a poverty trap.” 166 This poverty trap only heightens the difficulties faced with acquiring sustainable and modern forms of energy. As such, the Forum is faced with the task of not only providing this energy, but addressing the unique qualities of these states and the increased problems they face regarding ME access. The Energy Situation in LDCs Due to the multiple weaknesses of LDCs, their path towards development is particularly challenging. They not only have to reach development in general, but they have to do it sustainably, despite their multiple vulnerabilities. One of the most pressing challenges LDCs face nowadays, and one of the main factors hindering their development, is their precarious access to energy and their use of nonrenewable resources. This issue is often neglected since the governments and people of these countries are not aware of the great damages that non-renewable resources produce and the advantages that ME may bring. Therefore, the governments of the LDCs must provide improved awareness of ME in order to improve their development progress. This challenge is particularly pressing in LDCs given their vulnerabilities and the very low prevalence of access to ME sources. For instance, in LDCs 79% of people lack access to electricity and 91% do not have access to modern fuels. 167 Additionally, only 6% of the people in LDCs that still use traditional biomass and wood for cooking have access to improved efficiency cooking stoves. 168 Their energy is not modern since the majority of the people do not have electricity and lack pipelines, natural gas, and lighting. The reality of LDCs is that most households have rudimentary cooking stoves that need biomass, wood, or charcoal to cook, thus causing a great amount of pollution and smoke. LDCs’ homes lack lighting and depend on gasoline lamps, candles, fire, or suffer in darkness. Houses lack the electricity to even turn on cooling or heating devices like fans, !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 163 Ibid. 164 “About LDCs,” UN-OHRLLS. 165 Ibid. 166 Ibid. 167 Gwénaëlle Legros et al., The Energy Access Situation In Developing Countries. A Review Focusing on the Least Developed Countries and Sub-Saharan Africa. 168 Ibid. - 33 -
National High School Model United Nations 2015 HLPF TVs, and radios. Moreover, they do not have freezers or refrigerators to hygienically store their food. 169 The vast majority of people in LDCs must work where there is no electricity, no lighting, no cooling, and no communication networks. 170 They earn their living only through manual labor since they have no machines to optimize their work. This hinders their productivity and economic capacity. They cannot work at night, which is inefficient and makes products more expensive and less diversified. Moreover, since they cannot communicate via Internet or telephone, all business and trade must be done through direct travel, which is more expensive and laborious. If businesses had connection to Internet networks, transactions and operation would be faster, safer, and cheaper, which would generate more utility and profit. It would enable business to engage in wider production and trade activities, which ultimately would enhance their development potential. Because of all of the reasons stated above, having no electronic access in businesses makes the entire process slower and more tedious, hindering productivity and raising prices. 171 ME would provide dignified and more prosperous lives for people, helping them to develop the lives they envision. The community as a whole is further affected by precarious electricity sources, which virtually paralyze a society’s development. For instance, health care facilities in these countries are very unreliable since there is often no lighting or electricity. Hence, all medical procedures must be performed during the day. In addition, medicine cannot be stored properly since there is no electricity for refrigerators. Testing procedures are slow and unreliable, and the rate of infection is high since there is no way to sterilize the equipment. 172 The situation also adversely affects the ability of the medical staff to provide preventative care. As a result, almost every surgery is an emergency since existing conditions cannot be detected beforehand due to the lack of electronic equipment and machines. In addition, most procedures must wait until the power generator is turned on, which takes precious time that could save many lives. 173 In fact, around “1 billion people use health services without electricity,” a number made even more alarming by the fact that providing access to these services is not only possible, but within reach if the necessary changes are made by the international community. 174 Finally, ME would enable citizens of these countries to have extended school hours, as well as access to evening education and homework, which would raise the overall literacy rate and improve their chances of leading prosperous and fulfilling lives. 175 Ms. Reque, a teacher in rural Bolivia, says that she works in conditions that are the same as a few centuries ago due to the lack of energy. 176 She states “the quality of life is low when teachers work in schools with no power” as the “situation of unease and discomfort is constant.” 177 Providing ME in schools would allow more people to have access to education. Teachers would have the possibility to access improved teaching materials such !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 169 “Total Energy Access,” PracticalAction.org. 169 Ibid. 170 Ibid. 172 Poor People’s Energy Outlook 2013 - Energy for Community Services. 173 Ibid. 174 “Total Energy Access,” PracticalAction.org. 175 Ibid. 176 “Poor People’s Energy Outlook 2013 | Energy Access | Practical Action,” accessed 18 August 2014, http://practicalaction.org/ppeo2013. 177 Ibid. - 34 -
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