Humanitarian engineering and vulnerable communities : hydropower applications in localised flood response and sustainable development

Spyros Schismenos, Garry John Stevens, Dimitrios Emmanouloudis, Nichole Georgeou, Surendra Shrestha, Michail Chalaris

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Humanitarian engineering offers substantial benefits to interventions for socio-economic development and disaster risk resilience, particularly amongst vulnerable populations facing energy insufficiency and extreme weather events in low- and lower-middle-income countries. Localised hydropower and early-warning applications are reliable and can support such communities. This study presents important criteria and in-depth investigations for small-scale hydropower generators combined with flood-warning systems. According to our findings, 300 W of generated power can provide sufficient coverage for basic energy needs under both normal and extreme conditions. Outdoor warnings such as emergency lights and sirens could increase local response capabilities and save lives during extremes. Our project highlights the use of community-led hydropower as a vehicle for disaster resilience and sustainable development.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)941-950
Number of pages10
JournalInternational Journal of Sustainable Energy
Volume39
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

Keywords

  • developing countries
  • flood warning systems
  • natural disasters
  • sustainable development

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