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15 février 2008

Towards a methodology to assess the vulnerability and resilience of energy systems to climate change: focus on the VAR Project (Vulnerability – Adaptation – Energy Resiliency) of HELIO International

Par Valérie Blanchot-Courtois le 15 février 2008 | (0) Commentaires

The VAR (Vulnerability – Adaptation – Energy Resiliency) project of the ONG HELIO International is developing a straightforward methodology to assess the vulnerability and resilience of energy systems to climate change.

Two sets of energy-related indicators are developed: a small set which aims at identifying the country's specific climateinduced vulnerabilities and a larger one targeting the main actors in the energy sector, e.g. government, NGOs, agencies etc.

These indicators will cover economic, social, technological, environmental and governance issues, thus delivering a practical tool to measure the effectiveness of adaptation policies addressing such issues as energy generation, health, water quality, desertification, loss of productive capacity etc.

This work builds on HELIO's experience in defining energyrelevant indicators carried out through its Sustainable Energy Watch (SEW). It also draws on SouthSouthNorth Adaptat ion Project Protocol (SSNAPP) methodology and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

OVERVIEW

The project is composed of four components:

1. Identifying the problem : This component defines energy system vulnerability and presents the potential of ecodevelopment strategies to reduce it. The scope goes beyond focusing on energy supply security traditionally adopted at the national level. A small set of indicators (three to five) will be developed to assess a country’s key vulnerabilities.
2. Identifying solutions : While there has been substantive work carried out to date on vulnerability, there remains a lot to do on adaptation. This component aims at determining which elements—social, technical, environmental, economic— should be improved to support adaptation efforts. Additionally, ways for assessing at the national level the effectiveness of currently applied measures will be studied.
3. Testing the methodology : Ten in-country reporters— five French-speaking and five English-speaking African countries— will apply the indicators to the current national situation. Feedback on data collection, indicator calculation etc., will help refine the indicators accordingly, thus improving their relevancy.
4. Drawing conclusions/ Making recommendations Conclusions and recommendations will be analysed to see what “lessons learnt” can be applied to the development of policies and measures to increase energy system resilience.

THE PROJECT TEAM

The project team, coordinated by HELIO, is composed of three groups:

1. The Partners—chosen for their knowledge in a particular area, e.g. gender, economics etc.—guide the project’s focus and provide feedback on indicator and methodology development.
2. The In-country Reporters are part of the HELIO network and have already contributed to the 2007 publication, "A preliminary assessment of energy and ecosystem resilience in ten African countries".
3. The Review Group is composed of experts in the field of energy who review and give feedback on the process and indicators.

CURRENT STATUS : The VAR project has defined a set of indicators which will be reviewed and finalized at a methodological workshop at COP 13 in Bali, Indonesia, December 2007.

More information

HELIO International Newletter