Does energy access impact refugees' human capital development? A case study of Myanmar refugees in Thailand's camps

Abstract

Most refugees live in poor living conditions and lack clean energy. While previous studies have focused on basic humanitarian needs, limited attention has been given to energy access and human capital in prolonged refugee settings, particularly in non-signatory host countries like Thailand. This study addresses this gap by examining refugees' energy access and its impact on human capital development through a case study of Myanmar refugees in Thailand's Umpiem Mai (UPM) and Ban Mai Nai Soi (BMN) camps. Data collection was made through field observation, 25 semi-structured interviews, 202 household surveys and 20 key informant interview. Multi-Tier Framework was applied to analyze households' energy access, quantitative statistical analysis was used for the survey data, and thematic analysis was applied to the interview data. The findings revealed that in BMN, most households have Tier 0 electricity access. UPM is grid-connected but classified as Tier 1 due to high electricity rates. Both camps' cooking access is Tier 3. The streetlighting tier of BMN is Tier 0 and UPM is Tier 3. Consequently, UPM has superior human capital compared to BMN. Energy access is found to be affected by income, occupation and geographical location of the refugees. However, there have been limited humanitarian assistance from the United Nations (UNs), International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs), and governments regarding energy access for refugees in these camps. This research calls for urgent attention to the energy access of refugees by international organizations to ensure basic human rights and moral obligations.