期刊名称：International Journal of Development and Sustainability
印刷版ISSN：2186-8662
出版年度：2018
卷号：7
期号：1
页码：220-239
出版社：International Society for Development and Sustainability (ISDS)
摘要：Access to energy is crucial for developing sustainable livelihoods. Renewable energy sources dominate international policy discourses based on their dual capacity to enhance livelihoods and improve the environment. This romantic conceptualization sounds appealing. However, supportive empirical evidence combining different approaches are limited. We evaluate the impacts of biogas adoption on the livelihoods of beneficiaries in Cameroon. We use a structured questionnaire to obtain quantitative data from beneficiary households in seven pilot villages in the Western Highlands of Cameroon, before and after biogas adoption. Qualitative data was elicited through focus group discussions, key informant interviews and field observations. The results revealed that adopting biogas significantly increased human, physical and financial capitals (p=0.06; 0.00 and 0.00 respectively), as well as the social capital of beneficiary households, irrespective of gender. Based on the results, we conclude that adopting biogas technologies can potentially endorse the twin objective of livelihoods and environmental improvement. Conclusion on environmental contribution largely leans on the assumption that renewable energy sources are generally environmentally friendly. This was however only weakly captured through an observed expansion of pasture lands by beneficiaries after biogas adoption. We recommend a wider dissemination of biogas technology in developing countries such as Cameroon, where energy supply is currently problematic.
