Assessment of energy access and poverty in Nepal

What is it about?

Approximately 87% of Nepal's total final energy is consumed by households. This paper analyzes the patterns of household energy use and associated air pollutant emissions in Nepal based on LEAP framework for thirteen analytical regions and three end-uses. Four scenarios involving different growth paths for socio economic and energy system development through the year 2040 are considered. The study finds that household energy use is heterogeneous across the regions and biomass for cooking dominates the country's energy-mix. Households' CO2 emissions are less significant but their local indoor pollutant emissions will continue to rise in the future. To help strengthen government's commitment to the UN's sustainable energy for all initiative, this study devises an energy development index (EDI) to assess country's energy access and poverty across the regions. The results reveal that the current level of both energy access and energy poverty in the country is below the basic human needs and this situation will improve by little in next 30 years. The paper argues that to improve these situations require more coordinated and innovative plans and policies from the government. The paper suggests that greater emphasis will be needed in reducing dependence of biomass for cooking, promoting domestic alternative energy sources, scaling up biomass improved cookstoves programs and developing periodic regional level energy database.

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Why is it important?

This paper analyzes the patterns of household energy consumption at 13 analytical levels and for 3 different end-uses (i.e., cooking, lighting and use of appliances) in Nepal for the base year 2010 and for the future years. Altogether, four scenarios, involving different growth paths for socio economic and energy system development through the year 2040, are considered. This study also makes detailed assessment of access to modern energy services1 and energy poverty2 situation in the country. Furthermore, to understand how different regions of the country compare in terms of their energy access and poverty, this study devises Energy Development Index (EDI)3 for Nepal. The author is not aware of any studies in the literature that developed region-wide EDI in assessing energy poverty in Nepal. The findings presented in this paper may help the government of Nepal in designing effective and innovative national energy actions plans to alleviate energy poverty in the country. This paper may also serve as a reference source for organizations that are involved in household energy sector development programs in Nepal and in other developing countries of the world.