IICA promotes the use of renewable energies in rural Andean territories

Access to energy is vital for an economic, equitable and inclusive growth; and sustainable management of renewable energies represents an opportunity for increasing competitiveness and contributing to mitigating climate change.

San Jose, July 1, 2015 (IICA). Public policymakers, technicians and decision makers from the Andean region will be able to provide better guidance on the use of and access to renewable energies, thanks to a new tool that allows for systematizing and validating lessons learned in this area.

The methodological guide Use of and Access to Renewable Energies in Rural Territories, created by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), seeks to strengthen institutional frameworks and knowledge management by disseminating innovations in the use of affordable and sustainable renewable energies.

The tool promotes the use of these energies in agro-industrial and agricultural activities, in order to increase competitiveness in rural territories and mitigate climate change.

The guide was validated based on initiatives developed in the Andean region, such as the Energy and Environment Partnership with the Andean Region (EEP Programme), executed by IICA with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.

“This guide is not an end in itself; it is an instrument that, through its implementation, allows for systematizing multiple experiences with renewable energies so that their use will be valued and will benefit other rural territories beyond this region,” stated Orlando Vega, IICA specialist in renewable energies.

First presented at the Event on Renewable Energy in the Andean Region, held in May 2014 in Colombia, the document will drive the creation and implementation of sustainable development strategies that correlate agriculture, climate change, food security, management of natural resources and renewable energy sources.

Additionally, IICA provided countries with an interactive compact disc containing documents and multimedia products on the experiences in the Andean region and technical information on the topic.

“Energy is a crucial resource for improving the quality of life in rural territories. Access to energy is vital for an economic, equitable and inclusive growth; and sustainable management of renewable energies represents an opportunity for increasing competitiveness and contributing to mitigating climate change,” stated Vega.

More information:
orlando.vega@iica.int