3.6 Environmental and social impacts
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3.6.2 Social impacts
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Solar home systems can also power televisions, radios and cellular telephones, resulting in increased access to news, information and distance education opportunities. A study of Bangladesh’s Rural Electrification Program revealed that in electrified households all members are more knowledgeable about public health issues, women have greater knowledge of family planning and gender equality issues, the income and gender discrepancies in adult literacy rates are lower, and immunization guidelines for children are adhered to more regularly when compared with non-electrifi ed households (Barkat et al., 2002). Electrified households may also buy appliances such as fans, irons, grinders, washing machines and refrigerators to increase comfort and reduce the drudgery associated with domestic tasks (ESMAP, 2004).
Indoor smoke from solid fuels is responsible for more than 1.6 million deaths annually and 3.6% of the global burden of disease. This mortality rate is similar in scale to the 1.7 million annual deaths associated with unsafe sanitation and more than twice the estimated 0.8 million yearly deaths from exposure to urban air pollution (Ezzati et al., 2002; see Sections 9.3.2 and 9.3.4.3). In areas where solar cookers can satisfactorily produce meals, these cookers can reduce unhealthy exposure to high levels of particulate matter from traditional use of solid fuels for cooking and heating and the associated morbidity and mortality from respiratory and other diseases. Decreased consumption of fi ewood will correspondingly reduce the time women spend collecting firewood. Studies in India and Africa have collected data showing that this time can total 2 to 15 hours per week, and this is increasing in areas of diminishing fuelwood supply (Brouwer et al., 1997; ESMAP, 2004). Risks to women collecting fuel include injury, snake bites, landmines and sexual violence (Manuel, 2003; Patrick, 2007); when children are enlisted to help with this activity, they may do so at the expense of educational opportunities (Nankhuni and Findeis, 2004). Well-being may be acutely at risk in refugee situations, as are strains on the natural resource systems where fuel is collected (Lynch, 2002). Solar cookers do not generally fulfi l all household cooking needs due to technology requirements or their inability to cook some traditional foods; however, even partial use of solar cookers can realize fuelwood savings and reductions in exposure to indoor air pollution (Wentzel and Pouris, 2007).
Solar technologies also have the potential to combat other prevalent causes of morbidity and mortality in poor, rural areas. Solar desalination and water purification technologies can help combat the high prevalence of diarrhoeal disease brought about by lack of access to potable water supplies. PV systems for health clinics can provide refrigeration for vaccines and lights for performing medical procedures and seeing patients at all hours. Improved working conditions for rural health-care workers can also lead to decreased attrition of talented staff to urban centres.
Solar technologies can improve the economic opportunities and working conditions for poor rural populations. Solar dryers can be used to preserve foods and herbs for consumption year round and produce export-quality products for income generation. Solar water pumping can minimize the need for carrying water long distances to irrigate crops, which can be particularly important and impactful in the dry seasons and in drought years. Burdens and risks from water collection parallel those of fuel collection, and decreased time spent on this activity can also increase the health and well-being of women, who are largely responsible for these tasks.
