Camilo Ramirez Gomez

I am a post doctoral researcher at the division of Energy System (KTH-dES) at KTH Royal Institute of Technology Sweden. My research area focuses on using Geospatial Information Systems-based (GIS) methods to model interactions of energy systems with sustainability dimensions.

Throughout my research I have developed tools to analyse from a systems perspective, how sustainable transitions to universal energy access can be achieved. I have been part of the development of the Open Source Spatial Electrification Tool (OnSSET) and the Global Electrification Platform (GEP), and I am one of the creators, developers, and maintainers of the open-source clean cooking assessment tool OnStove. The main focus of OnStove have been on using GIS to evaluate transitions to cleaner cooking solutions in each square kilometer of a region. In collaboration with colleagues and partners, we have applied the OnStove model to the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, and detailed country case studies for Kenya and Nepal.

Moreover, as part of my work, I have also specialized in modelling NEXUS systems such as the Climate, Land-use, Energy and Water (CLEWs) systems interactions to inform and motivate cooperation between sectors and to achieve Sustainable Development. I worked on the development of the nexus assessment for the North Western Sahara Aquifer System (NWSAS), under the NEXUS framework of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). I also participated in the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) project in collaboration with the Stockholm Environmental Institute (SEI) to support the implementation of the 2030 agenda in the NENA region countries.

Throughout my experience modelling the water, energy and food NEXUS system, I have become certain that NEXUS modelling can play a pivotal role in the evolution of human society. By understanding the key nexus interactions that characterise the NEXUS systems, we can provide the right insights for decision-makers to guide the evolution of a region toward a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient society. Moreover, I have achieved deeper and more engaging outcomes by supporting the NEXUS analysis with open-source tools, GIS-based methodologies, and interactive visualizations.

I joined the division of energy systems analysis, in 2019 after completing my Master in Sustainable Energy Engineering at KTH, and I hold a Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Colombia.

More about the OnStove tool

The method considers benefits such as reduced morbidity, mortality, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and saved time, while factoring in costs related to investments, fuel purchase, and operation and maintenance. By calculating the relative differences between current fuel-stoves used and cleaner alternatives, the model can determine the net-benefit (benefits minus costs) of a transition, and identify the options providing the highest net-benefit in each square kilometer. Furthermore, the tool has also been coupled with stakeholder preferences analysis, evaluating different policies and measures to achieve a country’s clean cooking goals.

Projects

• Embedding AI in an innovative geospatial tool to support policy for clean cooking adoption in low- and middle-income countries: https://www.digitalfutures.kth.se/research/demonstrator-projects/ongoing-demonstrator-projects/embedding-ai-in-an-innovative-geospatial-tool-to-support-policy-for-clean-cooking-adoption-in-low-and-middle-income-countries/
• The Clean Cooking Explorer platform for Nepal: https://www.energy.kth.se/energy-systems/completed-projects/the-clean-cooking-explorer-platform-for-nepal-1.1199141
• Capturing emissions in least-cost electrification planning: https://www.energy.kth.se/energy-systems/completed-projects/capturing-emissions-in-least-cost-electrification-planning-1.1199123
• Climate, Land and Energy Analytical study of Potential Nexus Issues in Jordan and Morocco: https://www.energy.kth.se/energy-systems/completed-projects/climate-land-and-energy-analytical-study-of-potential-nexus-issues-in-jordan-and-morocco-1.929348
• Nexus assessment of the North West Sahara Aquifer System (NWSAS): https://www.energy.kth.se/energy-systems/completed-projects/nexus-assessment-of-the-north-west-sahara-aquifer-system-nwsas-1.916815

Publications

• Ramirez, Camilo, Babak Khavari, Alicia Oberholzer, Bhoj Raj Ghimire, Bhogendra Mishra, Santiago Sinclair-Lecaros, Dimitris Mentis, Anobha Gurung, Dilip Khatiwada, and Francesco Fuso Nerini. 2024. “Achieving Nepal’s Clean Cooking Ambitions: An Open Source and Geospatial Cost–Benefit Analysis.” The Lancet Planetary Health 8(10):e754–65. doi:10.1016/S2542-5196(24)00209-2.
• B. Khavari, A. Sahlberg, C. Ramirez, S. Odera, E. Onsongo, K. Nayema, V. Otieno, D. Ronoh, A. Gurung and F. Fuso Nerini, “Integrated planning for the achievement of universal energy access in Kenya” [Under review] http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.19033.29289
• Khavari, B., Ramirez, C., Jeuland, M. and Fuso Nerini, F. A geospatial approach to understanding clean cooking challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. Nat Sustain (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-01039-8.
• Ramirez, C., Almulla, Y., Joyce, B., Huber-Lee, A., & Nerini, F. F. (2022). An assessment of strategies for sustainability priority challenges in Jordan using a water–energy–food Nexus approach. Discover Sustainability, 3(1), 23.https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-022-00091-w.
• Almulla, Y., Ramirez, C., Joyce, B., Huber-Lee, A., & Fuso-Nerini, F. (2022). From participatory process to robust decision-making: An Agriculture-water-energy nexus analysis for the Souss-Massa basin in Morocco. Energy for Sustainable Development, 70, 314–338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esd.2022.08.009.
• UNECE. (2020). Reconciling resource uses: Assessment of the water-food-energy-ecosystems nexus in the North Western Sahara Aquifer System, Part A - "Nexus Challenges and Solutions". http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=55154.
• Ramirez, C., Almulla, Y., & Nerini, F. F. (2021). Reusing wastewater for agricultural irrigation: a water-energy-food Nexus assessment in the North Western Sahara Aquifer System. Environmental Research Letters, 16(4), 044052. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abe780.
• Almulla, Y., Ramirez, C., Pegios, K., Korkovelos, A., Strasser, L. de, Lipponen, A., & Howells, M. (2020). A GIS-Based Approach to Inform Agriculture-Water-Energy Nexus Planning in the North Western Sahara Aquifer System (NWSAS). Sustainability, 12(17), 7043. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12177043.
• Vallejos-Cifuentes, P.; Ramirez-Gomez, C.; Escudero-Atehortua, A.; and Rodriguez Velasquez, E. (2019). Energy-Aware Production Scheduling in Flow Shop and Job Shop Environments Using a Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm. Engineering Management Journal, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/10429247.2018.1544798.