Description:
More than two billion people cannot access affordable energy services today. They depend on inefficient locally collected and often unprocessed biomass-based fuels, such as crop residues, wood, and animal dung. Because convenient, affordable energy can contribute to a household’s productivity and income generating potential, its availability can help families and communities break out of the cycle of poverty. At the same time it also provides growing cities of the world the life source that powers Internet cafés, factories, schools and streetlights. Modern renewable energy technologies such as solar-, wind-, micro-hydro and geothermal power remain largely untapped, despite the relative abundance of sunshine, wind, water and underground thermal heat. The map is a part of a set, presenting different natural resources, with a focus on developing countries, and the use of natural resources for economic growth and poverty alleviation.