Fuelling Development
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Time: Wednesday 14 April 12:15-14:00
Venue: Bergen resource centre for international development, Jekteviksbakken 31 (Juss II)
The drive to find alternative domestic sources of energy is intense in a country which sees demand rising in tact with economic growth, and which fears growing dependency on volatile international markets. Biofuel is seen as a possibility to help meet the demand for liquid fuels across the country. The government-centred model targets state owned wasteland for the plantation of jatropha, a drought resistant, hardy plant which produces non-edible oil which can be used as a diesel substitute. It aims to simultaneously offer a source of fuel, reclaim degraded land, as well as generate income for the rural poor. Tompsett explores how conflicting and overlapping discourses at the international, state and local level influence policy production and implementation, ultimately effecting ground realities and the livelihood options of the rural poor.
Clare Tompsett is a CMI student who has recently completed her Masters in Development Geography at the University of Bergen.