(IREDA News, Vol. 1, No. 2, April-June 2004, pp. 31–36).
Electricity is not available for the vast majority of rural communities, and access is not improving at any significant rate. More people are without electricity with each passing year. Its highly uneven distribution represents a significant divide within and between nations. Planned redirections towards new and renewable technologies and local capacity building have general merit, but some of the disappointing results of past efforts will remain unless a change in underlying presumptions is also included in new strategies. A newly field tested context that addresses past failures is presented in this article. This paper examines traditional mechanisms for Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) in the sector of rural village electrification, and the preconceptions that underlay these mechanisms. Some specific consequences ‘on-the-ground’ are examined. The reticence of many donors to commit further investment in the sector is understandable and may be explained by these results, but an understanding of the mechanisms may lead to an alternative approach.
Electricity, Available, Vast majority, Rural communities, Without electricity, Uneven distribution, Disappointing, Past efforts, Underlying presumptions, Traditional mechanisms
