This study explores issues of biomass energy use in relation to household welfare and it assesses Ethiopia's future energy security with a focus on the energy sector model and institutional arrangements required for decentralized energy initiatives.

Master's Thesis from the year 2018 in the subject Engineering - Civil Engineering, grade: 3.6, Addis Ababa University (Center for Development Studies), course: Environment and Sustainable Development, language: English, abstract: Access to modern energy is a key element in rural development. This thesis identified the Impact of Small Scale Biogas Technology on Household Income and Health in Ada’a Woreda, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. 9 kebeles were purposively selected where there are high number of biogas users. The descriptive statistical significances and the association of the dummy and continuous variables with the dependent variable were tested using chi-square and t-test. Propensity score matching was used to assess the impact small scale biogas technology has on health and income of household. The study found out small scale biogas technology is favorable among users due to; subsidy form the government; relatively cheap comparing to other fuel sources; as it considers the health economic and environmental benefits; as it saves fuel; it being smokeless; its durability; the fact that it cooks quickly; as it effectively uses waste from farm and produces compost for farm use. The result from Propensity score matching indicated that small scale biogas technology has a significant and positive impact on health . So, the impact of small scale biogas technology has an average treatment effect of 8249.2, 5968.5, 9961.5, 8652.3 ETB per annum to household income using nearest neighbor, radius, kernel and stratification methods. The impact of small scale biogas technology on health, the study looked at three outcome variables; cost of the treatment for the victims in the households; the number of days spent for fuel collection per week and; total members of the household affected by indoor air pollution (IAP). The impact of biogas on cost of treatment has an average treatment effect of 320.2, 392.5, 339.2, and 332.8 ETB using nearest neighbor, radius, kernel and stratification methods respectively. The impact of biogas on number days spent for fuel collection has an average treatment effect of -1.5, -1.4, -1.3, and -1.3 days using nearest neighbor, radius, kernel and stratification methods respectively. Lastly the impact of using small scale biogas technology on total members of household that are affected by the illness -1.2, -1.2, -1.2, and -1.2, member using nearest neighbor, radius, kernel and stratification methods respectively. As the technology has a great potential in promoting sustainable and renewable energy, much effort should be done in promoting the technology, awareness raising to non-user household and peer education should be done.

Energy supply is a key factor in economic and social development, but lack of modern energy in rural areas limits efforts to alleviate poverty and improve living standards. This book identifies the options for providing modern and improved renewables-based energy to low-income rural areas, with special emphasis on the productive uses. In the five countries represented - Botswana, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Zambia and Zimbabwe - the contributors focus on the advantages of a decentralized approach to energy delivery, the role of income-generating activities in attracting modern energy services to rural areas, and the barriers as well as opportunities that exist in the promotion of renewable energy technologies. The African Energy Policy Research Network (Afrepren) has built up an enviable reputation as the Continent‘s foremost platform for the development African energy professionals producing policy relevant work. This latest volume in their series of publications is a further contribution to addressing the practical energy needs of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Bio-fuels were hailed as green solution to the energy and climate change problems. Yet, there is a debate concerning whether Bio-fuels are the right answer to these problems. Proponents posit that bio-fuels development brings rural development, employment opportunities, energy security, reduction of GHG emission, environmental conservation, and foreign exchange earnings. On the other hand, opponents claim that bio-fuels increase competition over cropland, increase price of staple foods, disturb bio-diversity, compete for water and land resources, and endanger wildlife. Opponents even go further and state that the current bio-fuel policies are neither a solution to the climate crisis nor to the oil crisis, and instead are contributing to a third: the food crisis. Amidst the efforts to use bio-fuels as substitutes for traditional ones, there are also some constraints, emerging issues and conflicting interests that pose challenges for the successful promotion of bio-fuels through research and development. This book is meant to examine and scrutinize the development of bio-fuel projects in Ethiopia vis-a-vis livelihoods, conflicts, co-benefits, and policies and the policy environment"

The issue of biofuels has already been much debated, but the focus to date has largely been on Latin America and deforestation - this highly original work breaks fresh ground in looking at the African perspective. Most African governments see biofuels as having the potential to increase agricultural productivity and export incomes and thus strengthen their national economies, improving energy balances and rural employment. At the same time climate change may be addressed through reduction of green house gas emissions. There are, however, a number of uncertainties mounting that challenge this scenario. Using cutting-edge empirical case studies, this knowledge gap is addressed in a variety of chapters examining the effects of large-scale biofuel production on African agriculture. In particular, 'land grabbing' and food security issues are scrutinised, both of which have become vital topics in regard to the environmental and developmental governance of African countries. A revealing book for anyone wishing to understand the startling impact of biofuels and land grabbing on Africa.