THURSDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2023
This year will be the first year in over two decades that there is a global increase in the number of people without access to electricity. Access to electricity is crucial as it directly affects the living standard of individuals as well as the economic development of nations. In the global quest to ensure a sustainable future for all, universal access to electricity must be achieved.To do this, there needs to be a full understanding of what is meant by access to electricity. One might be tempted to assume that having electricity access means having a source of electricity to power basic appliances. However, the threshold for electricity access currently is having enough electricity to power a lightbulb, mobile phone and radio for four hours per day. This is considered as ‘Tier 1’ access according to the Multi-Tier Framework (MTF) approach to electrification specified by the World Bank. The framework specifies four higher tiers with increasing consumption levels. This classification could inform more strategic planning for access to electricity, especially in current times when resources are worryingly scarce.
Chisom Ifeobu
Original article: https://www.iea.org/commentaries/for-the-first-time-in-decades-the-number-of-people-without-access-to-electricity-is-set-to-increase-in-2022
Image credit: Matthew Henry on Unsplash
