ESDS Market-Based Energy Access (E-Waste)
E-Waste Reduction in Displacement Settings
ESDS organized a web-workshop in June 2020 with relevant actors to collect ideas and explore synergies with comparable initiatives. Some of the resulting initiatives are:
The discussions during the workshop fed into the commissioning of a study by ESDS which had two principal tasks: One was to investigate the state of e-waste in ESDS’ project countries Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya, the second to develop a pilot project for collecting it via a business model. The former included a review of legislative frameworks, practices of stakeholders and a mapping of the flow of e-waste, the latter had to be restricted to interviews with companies.
The study focuses on the issue of e-waste in displacement settings and highlights the lack of attention given to it. Due to inadequate regulations and a lack of integration of e-waste management in humanitarian and development operations, the study proposes the implementation of "Extended User Responsibility (EPR) systems" to hold companies accountable for e-waste disposal. A pilot business model is proposed for managing e-waste in a refugee settlement in Uganda, which aims to establish a collection mechanism and promote a circular economy. Field visits in the Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement in Uganda are planned to refine the pilot concept and gather more data.
The Humanitarian E-Waste Network (HEWN)
The SUN-ESDS focuses on market-based energy solutions by providing global advisory services, implementing technical and financial measures and cooperating with relevant stakeholders in order to provide Access to energy for livelihoods in displacement settings. In Kenya, the project seeks to promote access to sustainable energy supply for refugees and their host communities in Turkana West Sub-county. The SUN-ESDS provided both technical and financial assistance for the construction of more than 40 km of low and medium voltage power distribution lines in Kenya's Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement which hosts approximately 47,000 refugees.
In 2021, SUN-ESDS established a working group called the E-waste Reduction in Displacement Settings, which was further re-named to Humanitarian E-Waste Network (HEWN). This group aims to minimize the environmental and health hazards caused by the accumulation of electronic waste in humanitarian crises and displacement situations. It serves as a platform for UN organizations, international organizations, NGOs, and others involved in the humanitarian sector to collaborate and advocate for responsible energy access and e-waste management in and around refugee settlements
