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Research Proposal

Research Proposal · March 2019

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.16846.41286

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Sarpong Hammond Antwi

Dundalk Institute of Technology
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 INTERNSHIP PROPOSAL 2019

Student: Sarpong Hammond Antwi

Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences
(PAUWES), Algeria
antwisarpong1@ gmail.com
www.sarponghammond.net

Name of the Internship Supervisor at PAUWES:

Name: Mr Malik Bendimerad
Email: [email protected]
Contact: +213 (0) 561 87 79 42

Host Institute: Department of Science and Technology- National Research

Foundation (DST-NRF)-Centre For National Research Foundation
Centre in Indigenous Knowledge Systems (CIKS)
Website: http://aiks.ukzn.ac.za/

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Table of Contents
Table of Contents ii
INTRODUCTION 1
ACADEMIC CONNECTIONS 1
RECENT INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE 1
INTERNSHIP GOAL 2
BACKGROUND OF PROPOSE RESEARCH 2
Objectives of the study: 3
Methodology: 4
DURATION OF INTERNSHIP 4
ACADEMIC REQUIREMENT 4
REFERENCE 5

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INTRODUCTION
I found the Centre in Indigenous Knowledge Systems (CIKS) through the recommendation
of Dr Andrew Okem. Upon reading more about the centre, I realise that the objectives and
various activities are undertaken by the CKIS fitted so well with my educational
background. I found it interesting that CKIS has different experts that I can learn from as an
intern. The community connection of the Centre also intrigued because I have sheer love for
community activities.

ACADEMIC CONNECTIONS

I have a background in Community Development from the University for Development in

Ghana, where, I studied modules like Community Development Processes, Disaster and
Conflict Management, Management of Community Organisation and Gender and
Development. I am currently a final year Master Student, studying Energy Policy at the Pan
African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences (PAUWES). Energy Policy
Analysis, African Energy Resources Scenarios, and Climate Change Impacts are some
modules I have taken. My educational backgrounds align with many activities undertaken
by the CKIS, which positions me to work without any difficulties with the Centre
favourably.

RECENT INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE

I worked with the Liechtenstein Institute for Strategic Development (LISD), as an intern and
African LEAP Fellow between April 2018 to September 2018. During this period, I wrote a
grant proposal and compiled over 150 LISD list of conferences and funding sources peculiar
to Africa LISD. I also worked directly with Schrodinger Greentech Limited Renewable
Energy Off-taker Partnership project under Innovate UK Energy Catalyst Call/UK
Enterprise. Until January 2019, I remained the North African representative for LISD in
North Africa as a Junior LEAP fellow.

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INTERNSHIP GOAL

During this internship period, I would like to learn more about research, gender and
transformational strategies and community engagements in the context of Indigenous
Knowledge System. I also want to improve my communication skills as I interact and
engage with people from diverse background during the internship period.

I will also welcome any other given task or duty that will empower me both professionally
and academically. I have the ambition to start PhD studies that address the gender-climate
change and energy nexuses in Africa using the Indigenous Knowledge perspective. I believe
this internship will offer me the opportunity to deepen my interests and to learn skills that I
could later apply in this pursuit.

Paramount among my internship goal is to learn how to publish in a peer-review journal

within the context of Indigenous Knowledge System under the guidance of a mentor from
the CKIS. From my knowledge and skills in a comprehensive review and data collection,
coupled with what I will be learning from CKIS I would like to review the role of
Indigenous knowledge in energy poverty reduction and climate change mitigation in Africa.

BACKGROUND OF PROPOSE RESEARCH

Climate change has become a critical issue at the global, regional and local level to such an
extent that many people consider it as the most significant challenge in the present century
(IPCC, 2018). The consequences of climate change at local community levels are very
devastating particularly in the Global South that is characterised by high levels of
vulnerabilities and limited adaptive capacity (Hoegh-Guldberg et al., 2018; Kihila, 2018).
Similarly, women and children suffer the most from the brunt of climate change because
they are the most vulnerable (Malo; Sebastien, 2018). Responding to the realities of climate
change is, therefore, essential to reduce the impact of climate change-related events impact.

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Energy on the other is also essential for the socio-economic development of any society,
because of its ability to help to eradicate poverty, improve living standards and to achieve
universal access to education and gender equity (Malo, 2018). Despite the remarkable
energy transformation in Africa, there are still over 600 million people on the continent
without electricity (Cozzi, Chen, Daly, & Kih, 2018). This situation is significantly
thwarting development on the continent because of increasing energy poverty levels.
Similarly, energy poverty has health implications when people rely on unreliable energy
sources. According to FAO (2016), the heavy reliance on biomass in Africa also contributes
to deforestation thus undermining the ability of forests to act as carbon capture sites.

Climate change and energy poverty are two interrelated phenomena that both state and non-
state authors in Africa are battling with to resolve. Finding a sustainable solution to these
issues, particularly at the local community level is highly essential. A local solution to a
local problem is worth a try as some studies such as (Kihila, 2018; Kumar, 2015; Makondo
& Thomas, 2018) have confirmed that climate change effects and energy poverty can be
reduced through localised solutions and initiatives.

It is from this background that, I would like to undertake a study that will explore how
indigenous knowledge can be deployed to mitigate climate change and energy poverty in
Africa by reviewing various indigenous strategies and its sustainability. The study will also
attempt to put forward arguments as to why integrating indigenous knowledge into energy
and climate change mitigation strategies is indispensable.
The study, in essence, will complement the scope of research being undertaken by CKIS in
the field of indigenous knowledge, energy and climate change while tackling the challenges
of sustainable development.

Objectives of the study:

 Assess the status of energy poverty in Africa.

 Understand the socio-economic impacts of energy poverty in Africa.
 Assess indigenous knowledge and practices concerning sustainable energy
management.

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  Make proposals on ways that IKS can be infused into strategies for addressing the
energy poverty constraint in Africa.

Methodology:

The proposed study will be purely a desktop review and synthesis of already published
literature (both and grey and peer-reviewed).

DURATION OF INTERNSHIP

I will intern for nine weeks maximum, starting from May to July 2019. I propose to work 7
hours per week. This is because I will have to be working on my master thesis alongside the
internship. I would also like take a masterclass lesson on software training like NVivo
during my stay in South Africa. It will be a pleasure to also offer training in Long-range
Energy Alternative Planning System (LEAP) software to students at the centre who will be
interested in learning about LEAP for energy projections as well as assisting students in how
to create and own blogs.

This chart is a tentative overview of the number of weeks and hours I would like to spend.

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Misc.
30 hrs 35hrs 35hrs 35hrs 35hrs 35hrs 35hrs 30hrs 30hrs 30hrs
Office Being able Office Begin Research Research Research Office Office Making
Introduction to work engagement literature engagement engagement up for
and with or review time
familiarisation without on lost
supervision research

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENT

To fulfil the academic requirements for the internship, I will submit:

• A dossier of all written work.
• A 5-page reflective essay at the end of the internship on what I have learned at CIKS as
an intern.

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REFERENCE

Cozzi, L., Chen, O., Daly, H., & Kih, A. (2018). Population without access to electricity
falls below 1 billion. Retrieved 20 March 2019, from
https://www.iea.org/newsroom/news/2018/october/population-without-access-to-
electricity-falls-below-1-billion.html

FAO. (2016). FAO_Forest_LowCarbon. Forestry for a Low-Carbon Future Integrating

Forests and Wood Products in Climate Change Strategies. Retrieved from
https://www.uncclearn.org/sites/default/files/inventory/fao25072016_forestry_for_a_lo
w_carbon_future.pdf

Hoegh-Guldberg, O., Jacob, D., Taylor, M., Bindi, M., Abdul Halim, S., Achlatis Australia,
M., … Waterfield, T. (2018). Hubertus Fischer (Switzerland), Klaus Fraedrich
(Germany), Sabine Fuss (Germany). Retrieved from
https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/2/2019/02/SR15_Chapter3_Low_Res.pdf

IPCC. (2018). Chapter 3 — Global Warming of 1.5 oC. Retrieved 20 March 2019, from
https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/chapter/chapter-3/

Kihila, J. M. (2018). Indigenous coping and adaptation strategies to climate change of local
communities in Tanzania: a review. Climate and Development, 10(5), 406–416.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2017.1318739

Kumar, V. (2015). Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Climate Change Adaptation Strategies:

A Study with Special Reference to North-Western India. Journal of Geography and
Natural Disasters, 05(01), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-0587.1000131

Makondo, C. C., & Thomas, D. S. G. (2018). Climate change adaptation: Linking

indigenous knowledge with western science for effective adaptation. Environmental
Science & Policy, 88, 83–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ENVSCI.2018.06.014

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 Malo; Sebastien. (2018). Climate change is increasing gender inequality | World Economic
Forum. Retrieved 18 March 2019, from
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/07/sexist-climate-change-women-and-girls-hit-
hardest-by-extreme-weather

Malo, S. (2018). Climate change is increasing gender inequality | World Economic Forum.
Retrieved 20 March 2019, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/07/sexist-
climate-change-women-and-girls-hit-hardest-by-extreme-weather

Von Schirnding, Y., Bruce, N., Smith, K., Ballard-Tremeer, G., Ezzati, M., & Lvovsky, K.
(2002). Addressing the Impact of Household Energy and Indoor Air Pollution on the
Health of the Poor: Implications for Policy Action and Intervention Measures Paper
Prepared for the Commission on Macroeconomics and Health World Health
Organization. Retrieved from
https://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/H&SD_Plaq_no9.pdf

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