Download or read book The Contribution of Renewable Energy Technologies to Sustainable Community Development in Rusitu Valley, Zimbabwe written by and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Energy is a catalyst for development and renewable energy sources in particular have gained prominence in empirical literature as a viable alternative to fossil based sources in achieving sustainable development. However, despite implementing renewable energy programmes, many developing countries still do not appear to be on a path towards sustainable development. This research explores the interaction of renewable energy technologies and sustainable development in low income communities. The systems theory is used as a framework to establish the nature of the relationship between renewable energy technologies and the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. This exploratory study is based on the case of the Rusitu Valley, a low income rural community in Zimbabwe. Data was collected using largely qualitative methods and quantitative methods were used to obtain supportive descriptive statistics. Information elicited from focus group discussions conducted with members of the Rusitu Valley community as well as responses obtained from a brief structured questionnaire were used to abstract the Rusitu Valley as a complex adaptive system. Input from in-depth interviews with government representatives in energy policy, local government and non-governmental organisations as well as a review of secondary sources was used to support the analysis and confirm the contextual validity of the study. This study revealed that there is intimate connection between renewable energy technologies and sustainable community development.