Survey

In Rwanda and Nepal, the case study countries in which the HEED project is being undertaken, refugees and displaced people do not have access to sufficient energy to fulfil their basic needs and live fulfilling, safe and productive lives. The first step in addressing these problems is to understand the energy needs, priorities and aspirations of the communities in which the HEED project is working.

One of the most important methodological tools developed to inform the design interventions associated with the HEED project is a detailed quantitative survey of three different groups of energy users:

–        households living in different parts of the camps / settlement;

–        entrepreneurs running small businesses within the camps and settlements in which we are working; and

–        those responsible for community facilities such as schools and health clinics.

The survey was designed and delivered by our research partner Practical Action. The survey was delivered in March and April 2018 with the support of community enumerators employed within each setting. More than 1,000 survey interviews were undertaken in total. The majority of interviews were undertaken across three refugee camps in Rwanda with a smaller, but nonetheless substantial, number of interviews undertaken in the IDP settlements in Nepal.

HEED energy surveys undertaken in Rwanda

HEED energy surveys undertaken in Nepal

These results of the survey are currently being analysed and will enable the HEED project to assess current energy usages as well as energy needs and aspirations in the two countries. This analysis will, in turn, be used to inform the design of the most appropriate interventions to be implemented in Phase 2 of the project.