The Impact of Energy Use on Poor Urban Livelihoods in ... - DfID

2.2 February Workshops
A Study <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Impact</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Energy</strong> on Poor Urban Livelihoods in Arusha, Tanzania
<strong>The</strong> Study: <strong>The</strong> impact <strong>of</strong> energy use on poor urban women and girls’ livelihoods in Arusha, Tanzania
Study funded by UK Department for International Development (DFID)
This study aims to improve the understanding <strong>of</strong> the linkages between the provision <strong>of</strong> energy use and
the achievement <strong>of</strong> Millennium Development Goals (MDG), specifically in relation to:
MDG 2 -Achieving universal primary and secondary education;
MDG 3- Achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Thus it is concerned with:
� collecting micro level evidence about the use <strong>of</strong> energy in poor urban households including the
energy decision making process in female and male headed households;
� understanding how poor women and girls can optimise their use <strong>of</strong> energy through the use <strong>of</strong> cleaner
and more efficient energy;
� testing assumptions concerning the relationship between energy and the achievement <strong>of</strong> MDGs 2
and 3.
� informing urban energy/poverty policies;
Urban poverty is relatively poorly researched and there is currently a paucity <strong>of</strong> micro level studies on
energy use its impact on the livelihoods <strong>of</strong> the urban poor. This despite the fact that there is evidence
that urban families may spend 29% <strong>of</strong> their income on fuels.
Preliminary Findings
<strong>The</strong>se are grouped under three headings; those relating to the types <strong>of</strong> fuel used and the way it is used; the energy decision
making process in female and male headed households; and the issue <strong>of</strong> education for women and girls in poor households. It
is clear that access to energy is a serious problem for the poor in urban areas. Despite its expense and declining quality the
majority <strong>of</strong> households use charcoal and wood for cooking. Currently electricity is expensive and unreliable and even the richest
households do not use it for cooking. Only two households have been identified as using gas for cooking. In large part this is
due to concern over its safety. Very few households use energy saving stoves.
In both male and female headed households the decisions are most likely to be made by men. This means that men’s
preferences, for example for a new radio take precedence over women’s choices, for example for a new energy saving stove.
Any time saved by women and girls by using energy more efficiently is unlikely to be used on education. Boys are given
preference over girls. Moreover poor households see education as a luxury that they cannot afford. Instead they need all
household members to earn money for daily living expenses. <strong>The</strong>refore any time saved by women and girls is likely to be used
for this.
<strong>The</strong> Workshop
<strong>The</strong> objectives are
• <strong>The</strong> dissemination and discussion <strong>of</strong> preliminary findings from the study;
• To identify community energy solutions
Participants
• Representatives <strong>of</strong> Ministries <strong>of</strong> <strong>Energy</strong> and Minerals and Community Development, Gender
and Children
• Representative <strong>of</strong> Regional Commissioner’s Office
• National and Regional representatives <strong>of</strong> TANESCO
• Representatives <strong>of</strong> Arusha Municipal Council
• Ward Extension workers
• Representatives <strong>of</strong> national and district NGOs
• Representatives from local government primary and secondary schools
• Men, women and youths from poor and non-poor households in Kaloleni and Daraja Mbili
who took part in the study
Development Planning Unit, UCL London
Dr. Sheilah Meikle and Patrice North