The Impact of Power Outages on Households in Zambia

Ahmed, Imaduddin; Parikh, Priti; Sianjase, Graham; Coffman, D’Maris

doi:10.2139/ssrn.4112248

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…A "crime rampage" occurred, involving hundreds of incidents of fires and vandalisation, looting and two deaths (Jane Corwin & Miles, 1978;Maxouris, 2019). In the Zambian manufacturing context, extra costs of ensuring security were a frequently cited cost by respondents (Ahmed et al, 2019;Ahmed, 2021a).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of power outages on households in Zambia

Ahmed,

Parikh,

Munezero

et al. 2023

Econ Polit

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As global average temperatures rise, so does the frequency and intensity of El Niño-induced droughts, which in turn threaten the reliability of hydropower. 1.4 billion people live in countries where hydropower constitutes more than a quarter of the electricity production and which have experienced El Niño droughts, meaning many more power outages can be expected around the world. Little research has been conducted on the impact of power outages on mental health. This study takes Zambia as its case study to examine the impact that El Niño droughts have had on the lives of householders connected to a highly hydropower-dependant electricity grid, and includes the impact it has had on their physical and self-reported mental health. Using 54 online responses to a survey, we found that the greatest impacts of outages spoiled food, compromised entertainment, compromised ability to work and limitation in cooking options. More than a fifth of respondents reported experiencing self-reported depression to a major degree or all of the time due to power outages, with individuals writing their own responses that they felt debilitated, experienced reduced communication and reduced activities, and stress. Using Bayesian inference, we found that changes in sleeping patterns arising from power outages was a statistically significant predictor of self-reported depression. 63% of surveyed households were willing to pay approximately USD 0.10/kWh as of the end of 2019, about double the tariff that they did, to ensure reliable electricity supply. Household income was a statistically significant predictor of willingness to pay more.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%