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Let the sunshine in
AUG 15 -
The proliferation of NGOs and development agencies in the past 15-20 years has brought with it a somewhat exhaustive cry for “sustainable development”. In the developing world, where industry-driven lobbying and counter-propaganda is less significant and development agency influence greater, these chants seem to be even louder. As such, those engaged in business and industry in the developing world, somehow cannot be blamed for feeling jaded and cynical about these soundbites saturating the public and intellectual realms.
Having said that, however, despite any industrialist or businessperson’s decision to overlook the facts, the dramatic rise in frequency and intensity of natural occurrences and disasters all through the past decade does manage to raise the eyebrow of even the staunchest of critics of climate change. Unfortunately, humanity’s inaction and history of relative indifference also does the same, thus raising the question: “Will the call for sustainable development be sustained?”
Nepal’s glorious status as a relative “non-entity” in the industrialised world does give it ample room to become a proponent of sustainable development. Local developmental discourse, as a result, is filled with references to the changing global environment and the practices local development initiatives must incorporate to address this burning issue. Although many argue that, with a GDP (PPP) of US$ 33.26 billion, peak energy consumption of 800 MW and a negligible manufacturing output, local initiatives to curb our carbon footprint are insignificant when weighed against the giant footprints industrialised nations leave behind, it is important to keep in mind that the pursuit of sustainable development practices have implications that extend beyond a simple reduction in our carbon footprint.
Turning disadvantages into advantages and backwardness into forwardness demands great skill and homework. If successfully managed, such endeavours can catapult individuals and similarly nation states into a realm and status they previously might have never imagined for themselves. Correct survival strategies require the processing of great amounts of information; the weighing in of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats; making informed decisions; committing to those decisions; and then making the necessary sacrifices to see those decisions bear fruit.
As an emerging economy, Nepal has many challenges to overcome before it can consider itself to be sustainably developing. Perhaps the greatest of these is energy security. Given the rapidly increasing population and burgeoning urbanisation, electrical energy demand will continue to see a steep upward trend while supply will continue to fail in meeting demand. As a result, each sector of the Nepali economy—households, businesses, enterprises, communications, industries, education and service sectors—will continue to be hit hard, extensively hampering their productivity. Sustaining development will, in such a case, be nearly impossible.
Addressing the issue of energy security will require many initiatives: a precursor to all of them, however, will be to have all the sectors of society first give the issue of energy security its due importance.
As environmental advocates and proponents of photovoltaic technology, Solar Solutions has for the past several years been looking at solar energy as a supplementary source of energy to hydropower in the development of an environmentally friendly and sustainable energy foundation for Nepal. Our experience over the last few years has shown that there is a very well informed segment of Nepali society that is sitting on the fence regarding its decision to be proactive about environmental issues and embracing environmental technology. What are the pathologies being perpetuated and holding back this segment is a lingering question. We, on our part, are certain, however, that this group of people present a large enough mass to kick-start a locally inspired and driven energy revolution. The developmental choices of today, if acted upon, help shape the nature of tomorrow’s economy. As such, the energy crisis in Nepal today presents a window of opportunity to take up the development choice of embracing green energy technology and thus redirecting the course of the economy. The fence sitters, in our opinion, not only share this vision, but are also the ones capable of kick-starting this green energy economy.
Regarding the many that have crossed over, we have managed to interact with them either as our clients or affiliates who, believing in the same cause, want to share their knowledge and experiences with us. To our various home clients and visionary institutional clients like Richard Ragan of the UNWFP, we thank you for taking the leap of faith and embracing a technology and future that will not only be better for the planet but may also create channels for companies like ours to create the sound economic framework necessary to sustain sustainable development.
(Thapa and Deoja are managing director and director respectively of Solar Solutions)
Raj K. Thapa & Saryat Deoja
Posted on: 2010-08-16 08:05
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