Assessment of Renewable Energy Impact to Community Resilience in Sumba Island

Common in the Indonesian island of Sumba. From 1990-2014 Sumba lost 100-1000 tons (depending on the district) of rice due to droughts (Provincial Government, 2015), and agricultural land ownership dropped to under 0.3 ha per farm household in 2014 (BPS, 2014) which poses a challenge for maintaining food security on the island. This phenomenon threatens the livelihood and well-being of the Sumbanese people and chips away their resilience against future disasters making them more vulnerable. With the Sumba Iconic Island program already running and targeting for 100% renewable energy usage by 2025, this article aims to establish a relationship between renewable energy and resilience in communities. An exploration of the available renewable energy resources in Sumba provided information on the potential the island of Sumba has in the renewable energy sector. Vulnerabilities and the Sumbanese economy is also explored, giving an overview of the island and the problems it is facing.

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