African Water Development Report 2006 - United Nations Economic ...

African Water Development Report 2006Box 9.1: Choose between new energy source or desertification -callGuardian Monday, September 02, 2002By Deodatus Mfugale, JohannesburgThe Tanzanian delegation at the Global People’s Forum called on developing countries to focus on alternativesources of energy that would be cheap, affordable for the rural population and could conserve the environment.Contributing to a discussion on alternative energy sources for sustainable environment, Simon Mmakasa of theSame and Mwanga Environmental Conservation Trust Fund explained that developing countries must now comeup with new energy sources or rural areas where many such zones have developed desert-like conditions due toexcessive use of forest products.“ An alternative source of energy will be a relief to women and children who spend many hours everyday in searchof fuelwood,” he said.“We cannot talk about sustainable development if there is no sustainable environment, and this can only be attainedif there is a sustainable energy system in place,” he said.He added that such alternatives must also aim at reducing environmental pollution, particularly, non-toxicMmakasa advocated for the use of the Non-Petroleum Green Heat cookers that are fuelled by gelfuel, which isderived from plants. The technology is already in use in some African countries, including Malawi.Talking about Tanzania, Mmakasa said the technology could easily be adopted because the cookers can be fabricatedby any artisan in rural areas where welding facilities are available.“On the other hand, the gelfuel is an ethanol mixture that can be made from a wide range of completely renewableagricultural products like sugarcane, bananas and other similar products,” he said.Highlighting the social aspects of the gelfuel technology, he said that the introduction of the system would boostagricultural activities through the establishment of energy farms for sugarcane, bananas and sweet potatoes.These would not only create employment for youths but also in the long run alleviate hunger through large-scalefarming of bananas and sweet potatoes.A delegate from Malawi, Richard Franz, explained that there had been a good response from the rural populationin his country.“Once this energy is adopted, the cost of using kerosene, fuelwood and charcoal will be greatly reduced. Ourtarget is to spread the use of this system to as many parts of the country as possible so as to reduce deforestation,”he said, ‘It is also advantageous to low income earners as it is cheaper than kerosene.”Franz works with the GELFUEL Company in Malawi, which is responsible for supplying the technology to ruralareas. He explained that so far, Uganda and Kenya have shown interest in the project and pilot projects would startin the two countries early next year. Tanzania is yet to show interest in the new energy system.Progress made by the different RECs towardsregional integration in the energy sector couldbe assessed based on the following objectives(ECA-ARIA, 2003):(a) Formulation of regional energy policies/programmes, including preparation of a regionalenergy/power development masterplan;(b) Joint development of hydropower resourcesand national hydropower projects with regionaldimensions;(c) Energy pooling through interconnection ofelectricity grids;224