Energy Strategies for Developing Nations (Rff Press)

If the oil-importing developing countries are to reduce their dependence on costly imports and maintain economic development, they will have to increase domestic energy supplies. But which energy resources are most appropriate in the developing-country context? And can traditional rural energy sources such as firewood and farm wastes be increased without seriously affecting agricultural productivity and environmental quality? In this book, four energy specialists survey the energy problems confronting the developing nations and recommend general approaches---energy strategies---toward making the problems more manageable.

Energy Strategies for Developing Nations seeks to illuminate energy problems and strategies for managing them in ways helpful to developing-area planners and to those in industrial countries and international organizations concerned with the interwoven objectives of maintaining economic development and achieving a successful long-term energy transition for the world as a whole.

"This volume, a publication of Resources for the Future, is based on critical data assessment by four energy specialists of the world's energy problems, pertaining to developing nations. The national energy issues are: formulating energy policy in relation to development strategies, improving efficiency in use, and increasing domestic energy supplies... Energy development, it is proposed, can be greatly reinforced by supporting action from industrial countries and international institutions. A few indicated lines can be: 'overall assessments of energy resources and demand patterns; exploration for mineral energy resources..' (pp. 23-24). In general, this is a very useful book for development planners. It addresses the issues with much objectivity and communicability, and above all, with practicability in suggesting viable strategies for resolving the world's energy problems." -- Journal of Asian-Pacific and World Perspectives, Vol.6, No. 2, 1983

"The authors, economists Joy Dunkerley, Lincoln Gordon, and Elizabeth Cecelski, and physicist William Ramsay, collaborated on this book as part of the ongoing programme of studies at the Resources for the Future's Centre for Energy Policy Research. They survey the energy problems confrontingdeveloping countries and recommend general approaches -- energy strategies -- towards making the problems more manageable. Their conclusions and recommendations are presented in ways likely to be helpful to planners in these countries, and to those in industrial countries and international organizations concerned with the interwoven objectives of maitaining economic development and achieveig a successful long-term energy transition for the world as a whole... the book is a timely and useful contribution to a topic which will progressively increase in importance, being at the root of many significant economic issues -- energy pricing, balance of payments, economic development, international aid programmes, to mention only a few." -- The Economic Journal, March 1983