Building energy institutions in a conflict zone: Interventions by international organisations in Afghanistan
Authors: Abdullah Fahimi, Paul Upham, Gesa Pflitsch
Journal: Energy Research & Social Science
Abstract
How do international development organisations develop institutional capacity in conflict zones? Here we take a descriptive, topological perspective on the question, using the case of Afghanistan. For twenty years prior to the capture of Afghanistan by the Taliban in August 2021 the international community directed substantial resources to Afghanistan, seeking to build a democratic state. Here we examine selected, energy-related aspects of those institution-building processes, taking the country as a case study of institutional development for energy and other transitions that is explicitly driven by particular values. We use the transition topology approach to map energy-related institutional development over two decades. We find that this institutional development can be categorized in terms of three main themes: development of a regulatory framework for the energy sector; privatisation of energy systems; and women's empowerment in terms of knowledge, skills and engagement in energy sector provisioning. The case contributes to an understanding of the types of institutional changes that transnational actors seek to induce, how they do this, and what types of outcomes can be achieved.
Last modified: | 15 August 2024 12.56 p.m. |
More news
-
30 September 2025
Lieutenant General Elanor Boekholt-O’Sullivan awarded the Aletta Jacobs Prize 2026
The University of Groningen (UG) has awarded the Aletta Jacobs Prize 2026 to Elanor Boekholt-O’Sullivan, the first female lieutenant general in the Dutch armed forces. The prize will be presented on Friday 6 March 2026 by the Rector Magnificus of...
-
15 September 2025
Successful visit to the UG by Rector of Institut Teknologi Bandung
The Rector of Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Prof Tatacipta Dirgantara, paid a 3-day visit to the UG.
-
04 July 2025
University of Groningen awards various prizes during Ceremony of Merits
The UG awarded different prizes to excellent researchers and students during the Ceremony of Merits on 4 July 2025.