TY - JOUR
T1 - The Effects of Rural Electrification on Quality of Life
T2 - A Southeast Asian Perspective
AU - Cravioto, Jordi
AU - Ohgaki, Hideaki
AU - Che, Hang Seng
AU - Tan, Chiakwang
AU - Kobayashi, Satoru
AU - Toe, Hla
AU - Long, Bun
AU - Oudaya, Eth
AU - Rahim, Nasrudin Abd
AU - Farzeneh, Hooman
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding: This research was partially funded by Japan-ASEAN Science, Technology and Innovation Platform (JASTIP), the Kurata Grant (awarded by the Hitachi Global Foundation) [Grant No 1359], ZE collaborative research at The Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University, Japan, as well as the “Rural Electrification—Ensuring Long Term Sustainability Through Community Aligned Renewables Empowerment (CARE)” Grant [Grant No. RU013-2017Z] from The University of Malaya, Malaysia.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 MDPI AG. All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/5
Y1 - 2020/5
N2 - Despite the general agreement about the benefits that electrification brings to well-being, few studies have concentrated on the actual efiects of electrification on the diverse non-economic dimensions of quality of life (QoL). In a multi-disciplinary and cross-institutional efiort, a group of natural and social scientists have studied three electrification schemes (grid extension, centralised hybrid, and solar home systems) in four rural villages in Malaysia, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Using a novel approach with scales on several QoL measures (self-reported QoL and five QoL sub-domains; psychological, physical, social, and economic well-being; occupations; and total active time), this article presents an analysis of the efiects of rural electrification on human well-being. With original data surveyed in the villages through a baseline prior to electrification and an endpoint several months after, the efiects were examined through suitable statistical methods. Overall, we confirmed a positive efiect of electrification in self-reported QoL levels as well as psychological, physical, and social well-being. There was, however, a certain reduction recorded in economic well-being. In the sub-domains of QoL, there were no changes after electrification in satisfaction levels concerning time use, time spent alone, housing, and personal safety, but a positive efiect on satisfaction levels was observed in cooking. Finally, in terms of occupation, we observed no changes in the total hours dedicated to work and no prolonged active time on usual activities in the household. The findings provide support to the hypothesis of a positive efiect on general QoL from electrification, but also suggest more precisely that, for specific QoL sub-domains, the efiect might not necessarily exist, or in fact, may be negative. The article concludes by discussing difierences determined by cultural aspects and technological limitations in each of the systems under study.
AB - Despite the general agreement about the benefits that electrification brings to well-being, few studies have concentrated on the actual efiects of electrification on the diverse non-economic dimensions of quality of life (QoL). In a multi-disciplinary and cross-institutional efiort, a group of natural and social scientists have studied three electrification schemes (grid extension, centralised hybrid, and solar home systems) in four rural villages in Malaysia, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Using a novel approach with scales on several QoL measures (self-reported QoL and five QoL sub-domains; psychological, physical, social, and economic well-being; occupations; and total active time), this article presents an analysis of the efiects of rural electrification on human well-being. With original data surveyed in the villages through a baseline prior to electrification and an endpoint several months after, the efiects were examined through suitable statistical methods. Overall, we confirmed a positive efiect of electrification in self-reported QoL levels as well as psychological, physical, and social well-being. There was, however, a certain reduction recorded in economic well-being. In the sub-domains of QoL, there were no changes after electrification in satisfaction levels concerning time use, time spent alone, housing, and personal safety, but a positive efiect on satisfaction levels was observed in cooking. Finally, in terms of occupation, we observed no changes in the total hours dedicated to work and no prolonged active time on usual activities in the household. The findings provide support to the hypothesis of a positive efiect on general QoL from electrification, but also suggest more precisely that, for specific QoL sub-domains, the efiect might not necessarily exist, or in fact, may be negative. The article concludes by discussing difierences determined by cultural aspects and technological limitations in each of the systems under study.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85085255988&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85085255988&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/en13102410
DO - 10.3390/en13102410
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85085255988
SN - 1996-1073
VL - 13
JO - Energies
JF - Energies
IS - 10
M1 - 2410
ER -
