Electricity access and poverty reduction dynamics in Botswana: an ARDL approach
Purpose – In this study, the impact of access to electricity on poverty reduction for Botswana is examined using the annual data from 1990 to 2021. The study was motivated by the need to establish if access to electricity could be a panacea on poverty reduction in Botswana. Given that the United Nat...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Emerald Publishing
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Humanities and Applied Social Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JHASS-10-2023-0128/full/pdf |
| _version_ | 1797205917624696832 |
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| author | Mercy T. Musakwa |
| author_facet | Mercy T. Musakwa |
| author_sort | Mercy T. Musakwa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose – In this study, the impact of access to electricity on poverty reduction for Botswana is examined using the annual data from 1990 to 2021. The study was motivated by the need to establish if access to electricity could be a panacea on poverty reduction in Botswana. Given that the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals deadline is fast approaching, and Botswana being one of the signatories, is expected to end poverty in all its forms – Goal 1. Establishing the role that electrification plays in poverty alleviation, helps in refocusing Botswana’s poverty alleviation strategies on factors that have high impact on poverty. The main objective of this study, therefore, is to investigate the relationship between poverty alleviation and access to electricity in Botswana. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach to investigate the nature of the relations. Two poverty proxies were used in this study namely, household consumption expenditure and life expectancy. Findings – The study found access to electricity to reduce poverty in the long run and in the short run, regardless of the poverty measure used. Thus, access to electricity plays an important role in poverty alleviation and Botswana is recommended to continue with the rural and urban electrification initiatives. Originality/value – The study explores the impact of access to electricity on poverty reduction in Botswana, a departure from the current studies that examined the same relationship using energy consumption in general. This is on the back of increasing dependence of economic activities on electricity as a major source of energy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T08:58:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-88ef0f215d8746b0b40751ccb36f19f3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2632-279X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T08:58:44Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Emerald Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Humanities and Applied Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-88ef0f215d8746b0b40751ccb36f19f32024-04-16T04:43:03ZengEmerald PublishingJournal of Humanities and Applied Social Sciences2632-279X2024-04-016216718010.1108/JHASS-10-2023-0128Electricity access and poverty reduction dynamics in Botswana: an ARDL approachMercy T. Musakwa0University of South Africa, Pretoria, South AfricaPurpose – In this study, the impact of access to electricity on poverty reduction for Botswana is examined using the annual data from 1990 to 2021. The study was motivated by the need to establish if access to electricity could be a panacea on poverty reduction in Botswana. Given that the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals deadline is fast approaching, and Botswana being one of the signatories, is expected to end poverty in all its forms – Goal 1. Establishing the role that electrification plays in poverty alleviation, helps in refocusing Botswana’s poverty alleviation strategies on factors that have high impact on poverty. The main objective of this study, therefore, is to investigate the relationship between poverty alleviation and access to electricity in Botswana. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach to investigate the nature of the relations. Two poverty proxies were used in this study namely, household consumption expenditure and life expectancy. Findings – The study found access to electricity to reduce poverty in the long run and in the short run, regardless of the poverty measure used. Thus, access to electricity plays an important role in poverty alleviation and Botswana is recommended to continue with the rural and urban electrification initiatives. Originality/value – The study explores the impact of access to electricity on poverty reduction in Botswana, a departure from the current studies that examined the same relationship using energy consumption in general. This is on the back of increasing dependence of economic activities on electricity as a major source of energy.https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JHASS-10-2023-0128/full/pdfElectricityBotswanaAutoregressive distributed lagPovertyLife expectancyHousehold consumption expenditure |
| spellingShingle | Mercy T. Musakwa Electricity access and poverty reduction dynamics in Botswana: an ARDL approach Journal of Humanities and Applied Social Sciences Electricity Botswana Autoregressive distributed lag Poverty Life expectancy Household consumption expenditure |
| title | Electricity access and poverty reduction dynamics in Botswana: an ARDL approach |
| title_full | Electricity access and poverty reduction dynamics in Botswana: an ARDL approach |
| title_fullStr | Electricity access and poverty reduction dynamics in Botswana: an ARDL approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Electricity access and poverty reduction dynamics in Botswana: an ARDL approach |
| title_short | Electricity access and poverty reduction dynamics in Botswana: an ARDL approach |
| title_sort | electricity access and poverty reduction dynamics in botswana an ardl approach |
| topic | Electricity Botswana Autoregressive distributed lag Poverty Life expectancy Household consumption expenditure |
| url | https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JHASS-10-2023-0128/full/pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mercytmusakwa electricityaccessandpovertyreductiondynamicsinbotswanaanardlapproach |