%A"Pereira, A F [Getulio Vargas Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil]" %A"Warkov, S" %D1979 %I; %2 %J[] %K29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY, ARID LANDS, APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY, BRAZIL, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES, RURAL AREAS, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, ECONOMIC IMPACT, ENERGY POLICY, SOCIAL IMPACT, TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER, ENERGY SOURCES, GOVERNMENT POLICIES, LATIN AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA, 299000* - Energy Planning & Policy- Unconventional Sources & Power Generation, 530100 - Environmental-Social Aspects of Energy Technologies- Social & Economic Studies- (-1989), 290200 - Energy Planning & Policy- Economics & Sociology, 290500 - Energy Planning & Policy- Research, Development, Demonstration, & Commercialization %PMedium: X; Size: Pages: 272-281 %TEnergy for development in semi-arid areas of northeastern Brazil %XWork on the prospects for alternative energy systems, especially solar and biomass, and the interrelationship of energy and rural development in the semi-arid areas of North-East Brazil is reported. The approach is interdisciplinary and raises questions about some economic and social costs and benefits that may be associated with energy-policy choices in this one sub-region of Brazil. Following an appraisal of fuel wood, solar cookers, irrigation and fertilizers in the context of energy and rural development, the social, demographic and cultural characteristics of the region are described. The drought-stricken area of the rural Northeast (Sertao) is the poorest in the country, with small land units, scarce surface water, subsistance agriculture, low capital formation, transportation deficiencies, resistance to change, high rates of out-migration and the like. The description of some regional development projects leads to a comparison of various technologies that might efficiently improve the supply of water. Work performed in the State of Paraiba on simple water distillation technology is reviewed and a social and economic cost/benefit study proposed. Factors affecting rural electrification are considered. A social impact analysis of viable alternatives to conventional electrical energy systems is put forward and the status of wind and solar generation of electricity is reviewed. A final section describes the current status of work in Brazil on biomass alternatives and compares the prospects for sugar cane and manioc plant alcohol. A proposal is made for a multi-disciplinary assessment of the socio-economic impacts of alternate energy sources. 42 references. %0Journal Article %N;Journal ID: CODEN: ITRCD %1 %CVenezuela %Rhttps://doi.org/ Journal ID: CODEN: ITRCD TIC %GEnglish