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A GIS-based approach for rural electrification planning in Afghanistan with focus on renewable energy  2020, 1 (1): 39-45  DOI 10.37357/1068/SODC2019.1.1.05


Zahra Rasooli 
University of Tehran

Zarifa Arzoo 
University of Pondicherry

Marzia Puya 
University of Pondicherry

Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and clean electricity, goal 7 of SDG, interconnected with 5 other goals and 125 (out of 169) targets of SDGs, is an essential factor to the success of any economic growth strategy. While 89 percent of households reported having access to any kind of electricity forms in the 2013-2014 (Afghanistan Living Conditions Survey), only 29.7 percent received their power from the grid, which covers only a small portion of electrified rural households. To select the most appropriate options for electrification of rural areas, a multicriteria decision-making approach has been used. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a multicriteria decision-making method used combined with GIS to analyze different options. In this paper, a methodology framework incorporating decision analysis techniques has been presented to evaluate and determine a suitable energy system for rural electrification with a perspective on sustainable development goals. Renewable energy, diesel generator, and national grid expansion have been compared to different options from different views and criteria.
 
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The author(s) has received no specific funding for this article/publication.