Webinar Series: Sustainable Energy in Humanitarian Settings

- Knowledge and Solutions from and for the Field -

Today, over 130 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance due to conflict, natural disasters, and other complex global challenges. For many of these people, access to energy sources is critical for survival, and how they access it impacts their health, livelihoods, safety, and well-being.

Energy access for displaced people is not prioritized in the global humanitarian system. Current energy practices in situations of displacement are often inefficient, polluting, unsafe for users, and harmful to the surrounding environment. Moreover, institutional humanitarian operations such as water pumping, community lighting, and health clinics rely heavily on unsustainable fossil fuels, costing hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Given the complex nature of humanitarian response and the challenges of integrating sustainable energy solutions into the humanitarian program cycle, there is not just one solution but a need for systemic actions to mobilise resources, build capacity and use the opportunity for sustainable energy solutions to enhance impact in sectors such as health, protection, food security, and WASH. read more

Against this background, key actors involved in displacement settings developed in 2018 the Global Plan of Action for Sustainable Energy Solutions in Situations of Displacement (GPA). It’s mission is to equip stakeholders with the capacity to mainstream sustainable energy solutions into programming, with the goal of delivering improved protection, dignity, and energy-related social, environmental, and economic benefits to displaced people.

As part of the outreach and capacity building activities of this movement, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) together with the Steering Group of the GPA and other partners are conducting a series of webinars on humanitarian energy issues to raise awareness and spread knowledge about different technologies, best practices and impacts.

List of past Webinars

Sep 2019

Sustainable Energy for Essential Humanitarian Services: Outline of Energy Solutions and a Case Study on Solar Pumping

Webinar recording

How is the corporate sector partnering with humanitarian organizations to provide energy for essential services, such as water, health, and education? This webinar – the second in the series – will present examples from companies such as Grundfos and Schneider Electric. It will also include an in-depth case study from ICRC on how solar pumping has benefited the community in Arsal, Lebanon.

Presentation

Sustainable Energy for Essential Humanitarian Services

Speakers

		Olivier Jacquet, Schneider Electric Olivier Jacquet studied electrical engineering at University College, London UK, and at the French High School Centrale-Supélec. After he graduated his MSc, he also studied his MBA at College des Ingénieurs in Paris, France. Since 1998, Olivier hold various positions at Schneider Electric in solution sales, manufacturing, and entered general management roles since 2004, as Factory Manager in Western France, then as Zone Manager in Vietnam Philippines and Cambodia, and lately Senior Vice President for international projects in EMEA region.
		Christian Lenz, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Christian holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from ETH in Zurich, Switzerland and is currently an EMBA candidate at Politecnico di Milano, Italy. After graduating from ETH, he co-founded a startup in the field of electro-acoustic solutions for concert venues, gaining on eight years of experience as a live sound engineer. Since 2016 he is part of the ICRC engineering team having worked in Iraq, Yemen and currently in Lebanon. As Deputy Water and Habitat Coordinator, he supervises all projects related to access to essential services (water, wastewater, power supply, healthcare provision, education) for refugees and resident communities.
		Geraldine Tsui Yee Lin, Grundfos Holding A/S Geraldine has worked as Global product manager in Grundfos for 10 years, based in Denmark, and has been involved in the Solar Water solution almost ever since joined Grundfos. Throughout the last decade, Geraldine has been responsible for solar program management, product development as well as global solar market development with extensive cooperation with aid-organizations, private and public sectors. Before her employment in Grundfos, Geraldine has an engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Material Science. Followed her education, she worked in the semiconductor development in Hong Kong for 8 years.
		Morten Riis, Grundfos Holding A/S For more than 25 years, Morten Riis has worked in the field of technology & engineering, i.e. working with advanced systems - in the recent years focused on both energy and water – and in this respect participated in addressing the challenges on both globally. Morten is board member at the green think tank, Concito, at the Danish Water Forum ao. Previously, he has previously likewise served as member of the advisory board of the China Europe Water Platform (Integrated Urban Water Management) as well as member of the Steering Board at 2030 Water Resources Group. Before joining Grundfos, he served in other global companies such as ABB and Oracle. Morten has a background with degrees in engineering as well as Business Economics besides diplomas in journalism, process consulting and management.

Resources

MiniGuide - Solar Water pumping
RWSN (Rural Water Supply Network)
Borno State Global Solar and Water assessment
HELPDESK: solarquery@iom.int
Webinar - Taking stock of solar pumping for domestic water supply – Operation & maintenance

June 2019

State of Play: Sustainable Energy in Humanitarian Settings

Webinar Recording

Presentation

State of Play Sustainable Energy in Humanitarian Settings 2019

Speakers

		Marco Albertini, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) With a background in Environmental Engineering and Business Administration, Marco has 15 years of international experience in team coordination and project management in the fields of water and power supply and rehabilitation of infrastructures for essential services. He joined the ICRC in 2005 and undertook field missions coordinating humanitarian operations in Ethiopia, Pakistan, Palestine, Mauritania, Philippines, Lebanon, South Sudan. He is currently the Knowledge Manger for the ICRC Water and Habitat Unit at Geneva HQ.
		Raffaella Bellanca, World Food Programme Raffaella, Energy for Food Security coordinator at WFP, is an Access to Energy specialist focused on energy delivery models and the development of sustainable value chains that meet households, institutional, commercial and humanitarian needs for cooking, lighting, cooling and productive uses. On the topic, she has co-authored several papers and a book. Raffaella has entered the development sector as executive director of the energy practitioners network, HEDON, publisher of the peer reviewed journal Boiling Point. She has worked in the field, Haiti and Mali, as well as in London. Raffaella has worked in the energy sector for over twenty years, starting from simulating combustion processes in power plants (for ENEL SPA) and car engines. She experienced entrepreneurship first hand by co-founding a university spin-off clean-tech company, incubated by a technology centre in Sweden. She holds a PhD in Combustion Physics, MSc in Environmental Physics and a Master in Communication for Development.
		Francois Delfosse, Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Holding a Master Degree in Geopolitics and a diploma of humanitarian applied logistic, François Delfosse has been working in the humanitarian sector for the past 21 years, including more than 11 years in the field. Currently Project manager, is developing a comprehensive and transversal Environmental Roadmap for MSF Operational Center Geneva, aiming at promoting and implementing environmental best practices, encompassing OCG environmental footprint and setting the frame to better understand the impact of climate change on populations’ needs and therefore reflect on our operational approach.
		Florent Eveillé, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Florent Eveillé coordinates the Safe Access to Fuel and Energy approach within and outside of FAO. Before ensuring this role, he worked for the FAO Office in West Bank & Gaza Strip. With a background in Natural Resources Management and Economics, Florent has covered different roles in the field of resilience, nature conservation, renewable energy and waste management in Central African Republic, France, Jordan, Lebanon and at EU level.
		Thomas Fohgrub, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Thomas is the head of the Coordination Unit for the Global Plan of Action for Sustainable Energy Solutions in Situations of Displacement, which is hosted at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research and is steered by 13 key organizations from humanitarian aid and development assistance. He is working within UNITAR at this topic since two years. Before that, Thomas was for more than 4 years the focal point for trade and development, economic cooperation and sustainable energy at the German Mission to the UN in Geneva and served in other capacities for the German Ministries of Energy and Social Affairs before. He holds an MA in European Studies and a PhD in Management Consulting.
		Sergio Gelli, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Sergio Gelli works for the International Committee of the Red Cross- ICRC, as the Energy Initiatives Senior Advisor to the Board of Directors. Before joining the ICRC and covering roles of progressive responsibilities in the field and at Headquarters where he was until 2018 Deputy Head of the Water and Habitat Unit he worked for various organizations as Consultant in Public Health engineering in the Humanitarian Sector.
		Owen Grafham, Chatham House Owen Grafham joined Chatham House in May 2014. During his time in the Energy, Environment and Resources department, he has managed Chatham House's research and outreach on energy for displaced populations and the institute's work on energy-use inside the humanitarian system. Owen is the author of many papers on humanitarian energy including ‘Heat, Light and Power for Refugees: Saving Lives, Reducing Costs’ and ‘The Costs of Fuelling Humanitarian Aid’. He has been on the technical advisory board for a number of related projects including an Economic and Social Research (ESRC) funded study on the energy use of refugees conducted by Edinburgh University and an ongoing EPSRC-funded project at Coventry University – ‘Humanitarian Engineering and Energy for Displacement (HEED)’.
		Eva Mach, International Organization for Migration (IOM) Eva Mach works as Environmental Sustainability Programme Officer at the Headquarters of the International Organization for Migration – the UN Migration Agency (IOM). In this capacity, she manages IOM’s institutional Environmental Sustainability Programme which aims to connect environmental sustainability principles and practices with migration governance and management with a special focus on the clean energy transition and environmental management systems. She also contributes to IOM’s global policy work on water and energy related topics.
		Madeleine Marara, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Madeleine Marara, who has more than 10 years of mix-experience in the humanitarian, development and academic sectors, currently works at the Headquarters of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), as an associate project officer, within the Energy and Environment Unit. Prior to joining UNHCR headquarters, she has worked in the field with UNHCR Rwanda Operation, where she developed the country SAFE (Safe Access to fuel and Energy) Strategy and managed its implementation. Her other work experience include work in the development sector, mainly in WASH, Environment and sustainable energy solutions in remote areas. Miss. Marara holds a BSc. Degree in civil engineering from KIST, Kigali - Rwanda and a MSc. degree In Environmental Sciences from IHE, Delft-The Netherlands.