How Resilient is your City?

Africa is urbanizing fast and with it comes a lot of challenges and opportunities.It is estimated that two-thirds of the population in Africa will be living in cities by 2050. Already, most African cities have issues with adequate supply of electricity and other basic infrastructural services. Challenges with waste management, traffic congestion and slum developments are growing by the day.

Is your city resilient to many of these challenges? Is city planning something that is talked about and planned for by government, key agencies and citizens?If not, urban planning needs to be put back on the agenda.

What kind of city do you want? Let us begin to talk about it, plan for it and create it.

Photo credit: The African Economist

AFRICA'S JOURNEY TOWARDS A LOW CARBON FUTURE: WILL WE BE LEAPFROGGING, WALKING OR CRAWLING?

It is not uncommon to find publications or articles articulating Africa’s potential (especially Sub-Saharan Africa) to leapfrog its energy and power challenges and embrace a low carbon future. Evidently, the hype is no where close to actions on the ground. Undoubtedly, the continent is blessed with abundant renewable energy resources yet the momentum towards harnessing these technologies for a power-starved population appears frail considering the gains by many other countries outside the continent.

The catalyst for this transition is the threat of  human induced climate change argued to be caused by many Western countries in their quest to industrialize. Unfortunately, the threat is non-selective and will hit most parts of Africa hardest. Already, many hydro—dams are operating under sub-optimal conditions due to drought. Rainfall patterns have so changed that for a continent where more than 50% of the population depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, the economic implications are dire -- not forgetting food security issues. Flood risks are more threatening in many cities in Africa where rapid urbanization is pressuring amenities. The risks are numerous with dire implications for overall well-being and economic development. In this post, I will dwell on the energy and power dimension and its importance for our present development. A low carbon energy system will enhance energy security due to the harnessing of resources within one's own borders eliminating the problems that come with oil price shocks and bad air quality(for coal users).

Climate change is shaping research, policy and action in most parts of the world. Renewable energy technologies like solar and wind have become more competitive and have increasingly becomes a major part of the energy mix of most  developed countries . Over the past weeks, there have been reports on countries like Germany and Portugal supplying close to 100 percent of its electricity demand from renewable sources at a certain point in time. For Germany, reports of negative power prices i.e. consumers being paid to consume electricity occurred for a time. Businesses are looking at more innovative ways to deliver value in era where current business models are being challenged may be unprofitable. Countries like Japan have more electric recharge points than petrol stations due to the growth of the electric vehicle market. Again, the Netherlands is looking to ban all petrol and diesel cars by 2025 if legislation is made binding. A greater involvement of businesses and the private sector is anticipated after the Paris Agreement is fully operational in 2020. What this proves is that, a low carbon future is no longer  decades away. It is already here. 

But why is this revolution not so evident in Africa? Why is the leapfrogging not happening?

Firstly, it is noteworthy to mention that several countries on the continent have developed renewable energy policies but these often seem disjointed from the country energy policy and strategy(if one exists). As such, the framework needed to catalyze private investments are absent. The lack of effective policies as well as low confidence (eg. due to political risk) is doing very little in the removal of non-economic barriers (i.e. institutional, regulatory, knowledge, information, infrastructure, technology and market) eroding investor interest.

For the least part, national conversations about preparedness for a low carbon future must be high on the agenda. For e.g. a future transport industry fueled by electricity is worth discussing as well as energy scenarios and their implications for economic growth. Additionally, research and planning must go into how peaks and troughs caused by the intermittency of certain renewables will be smoothed out and what energy sources the country can  dispatch to stabilise the grid.

Attractive incentives for the development of manufacturing plants for renewable energy within most African countries should be on the agenda of most governments. This will stimulate local demand, build the skills base of many of the youth and provide employment.

The lack of financial products tailored at renewable energy technologies and solutions remains a challenge. Most of financial institutions do not understand the financial risks associated with these technologies and projects. Stakeholder consultations to educate and understand the needs of all  stakeholders will be crucial going on into the future.

Without some of these conscious and sustained efforts, the future for electricity and the sustained economic prosperity of Africa is questionable. There is still time to make an impact. A little more delay and that leapfrogging opportunity will be far gone.

Ethiopia Spearheads the Green Energy Revolution in Sub-Saharan Africa

Ethiopia is spearheading the green energy revolution in Sub-Saharan Africa as it has become the home of the largest wind farm in the region. See more.......http://uk.news.yahoo.com/ethiopia-spearheads-green-energy-sub-saharan-africa-155249432.html?.tsrc=lgwn

Climate Change is Upon Us

How many more disasters can we take? Just a few days ago, Typhoon Haiyan claimed the lives of thousands of people and damaged property running into millions of dollars. A World Bank report released yesterday attributes three-fourths of annual damages from global disasters to extreme weather conditions. For 2012, it estimates annual damages attributable to global disasters at $200 billion. Yet, some still believe that climate change is a hoax or perhaps the urgency being given to climate change mitigation is overemphasized.

At the same time, tensions and fears are mounting at the nineteenth Conference of Parties (COP 19) in Warsaw, Poland as the aim to forge a legally binding global climate treaty to cut carbon emissions appears challenging due to the differing interests of developed and developing countries. Hopefully, these talks will provide some direction for addressing climate change post 2020. If not, should African countries develop a framework for addressing climate change outside the United Nation Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) considering the evidence that the continent may be more vulnerable to climate change? See more...... http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/11/19/2968161/global-disaster-damage-200-billion/

Amnesty International on Shell and Agip Spills

Amnesty International in a report released today has criticized the multinational company Shell and Agip - a subsidiary of Eni for failing to control oil spills associated with their activities thereby polluting the environment and endangering the lives of millions of Nigerians. The report targeted mainly at Shell punched holes in its claim that numerous oil spills were due theft and sabotage arguing that the company lacked evidence to support its claim and should perhaps look at flaws in its operational performance. On Agip, the report raises the issue of the “scale of spills” which suggests that the company is unable to effectively manage its operations. Currently no response has been forthcoming from Shell however the Guardian in London reports that the London office has stated that these claims by Amnesty are unsubstantiated assertions and that its wants “greater transparency and independent oversight” in handling oil spills. Read more......http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AFR44/028/2013/en

Ethiopia Steps Up on the Renewable Energy Challenge in Africa.

Africa's biggest wind farm has begun production in Ethiopia, aiding efforts to diversify electricity generation from hydro-power plants and help the country become a major regional exporter of energy. Africa's second most populous country - plagued by frequent blackouts - plans to boost generating capacity from 2,000 MW to 10,000 MW within the next three to five years.

Much of the increase would come from the 6,000 MW Grand Renaissance Dam under construction on the Nile. The US $290m Ashegoda Wind Farm was built by French firm Vergnet SA with concessional loans from BNP Paribas and the French Development Agency (AFD). The Ethiopian government covered 9 percent of the cost.

"Various studies have proved that there is potential to harness abundant wind energy resources in every region of Ethiopia. We cannot maintain growth without utilising the energy sector," Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said in a speech at the launch. Experts put Ethiopia's hydropower potential at around 45,000 MW and geothermal at 5,000 MW, while its wind power potential is believed to be Africa's third-largest behind Egypt and Morocco. Read more: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/10/africa-biggest-wind-farm-opens-ethiopia-2013102713165843147.html

Unlocking Africa’s Solar Energy Potential: Learning from South Africa.

Do you the country that boasts of the world’s fastest growing investment in clean energy? Well, if you do not, look the way of South Africa. Jumping from a few hundred million dollars to $5.7 billion, South Africa recorded last year the world's highest growth in renewable energy investment, according to the U.N. Environment Program (UNEP).The spectacular surge, led largely by investments in solar power projects, comes as South Africa moves to reduce its dependency on coal, which accounts for around 86% of its energy. To achieve that, the country has set the ambitious target of generating 18 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy by 2030. Read more:
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/29/business/bright-sun-bright-future-africa/index.html?iref=allsearch