Overview

People living in developing countries, those identified by lower industrial development and a lower Human Development Index, such as Mozambique, are known to undergo through several unfavorable circumstances, namely: (i) weaker indoor air quality due to the domestic use/burnt of fossil fuels (wood and coal based energy sources); (ii) thermal discomfort from poor constructive quality of dwellings; (iii) diminished, limited or inexistent access to energy services; and (iv) financial inability to move towards cleaner energy sources. Apart from these conditions, these populations are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, in particular to the occurrence of extreme hazards such as heat waves, storms and floods, as their (economical) response capacity is also more limited. In fact, poor housing quality and limited access to energy sources are also responsible for social injustice and gender inequality – along with the access denial to education for all, women and children in these countries are the main victims of poverty and are disproportionately affected by climate change. Often, women do not have independent income or property, and are the main responsible for getting food and water in the household. In other words, the scarcity of these resources forces them to travel farther, spending more time and facing greater physical hazards.

In short, the main objectives of this work are to identify, evaluate, support and disseminate the use of sustainable energy systems to improve dwellings’ indoor air quality and reduce the risk of exposure to energy poverty. Therefore, it is essential to define the target population and to develop specific and adequate strategies to each type of neighborhood, socioeconomic background, and fuel sources. The project seeks to: (1) characterize and classify the diverse housing and population circumstances; (2) develop and evaluate strategic measures according to the classification; (3) promote and diffuse the operationalization of improving measures; (4) strengthen the research capabilities of local academic institutions and foster their role as agents of progress in society (contributing to the creation of a local research laboratory of energy and sustainability); and (5) reinforce inter-institutional and civil society relations. Specific neighborhoods, according to the subject to be studied, in the city of Pemba, Cabo Delgado province, which is a region deeply affected by poverty, will be used as case studies, aiming at its replicability in other Mozambican or other African regions.

In order to improve the quality of life in Africa in the long term, the project grounds its development on the newly established research cooperation between the University of Coimbra (Portugal) and the Lúrio University (Mozambique); in other words, the project seeks to endow knowledge to Mozambican researchers so that these can independently act in the future within local population/actions.