Monica Chidia Maduekwe Energy, Poverty and Sustainable Development: When do we draw the line between Deforestation and Development in Africa? A paper presented on the 4th NAEE/IAEE International conference 28th-29th April 2011 Monica Chidia Maduekwe

Outline Introduction Present Energy Situation in Africa Energy, Poverty and Sustainable Development 1 2 4 Energy and Development 3 Conclusion 5 Question 6

Introduction There is a growing awareness and concern about the effects of climate change Increasingly, we are witnessing longer droughts, increased temperature, melting of the ice caps, and greater incidence of floods in parts of the world Africa given its unique economic conditions is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change Currently, parts of the continent are experiencing droughts, floods and other environmental issues resulting from climate change Unfortunately some practices in the continent such as deforestation are exacerbating the occurrence of climate variability Deforestation is a particularly difficult challenge as wood serves as a major source of fuel

Present Situation Prevalence of energy poverty Traditional biomass accounts for a significant source of primary energy Lowest electrification rate in the world

Present Situation (Cont’d.) The figure below presents the numbers of people without access to electricity in selected developing regions (million), 2009

Present Situation (Cont’d.) The figure below presents the number of people relying on Traditional Biomass in selected Developing regions (million), 2009

Present Situation (Cont’d.) The figure below presents the number of Africans without access to electricity (million), 2009

Present Situation (Cont’d.) The figure below presents the number of Africans relying on traditional biomass (million), 2009

Present Situation (Cont’d.) The figure below represents the traditional biomass mix used in SSA

Energy & Development OTHER INPUTS ECONOMIC OUTPUT ENERGY Energy is a very important input for economic development Levels of economic development influences the kinds of energy consumed Energy ladder

Source of primary energy Energy & Development (Cont’d.) Advanced Level Advanced Level Advanced Level Intermediate Level Intermediate Level Intermediate Level Lowest Level Lowest Level Lowest Level Commercial fossil fuel Electricity Commercial fossil fuel obsevered Animal power Charcoal Biomass Sunlight Human effort Source of primary energy

Energy & Development (Cont’d.)

Energy, Poverty and Environment Energy/Poverty Nexus Energy/Poverty/Environment Nexus Poverty Lack of Energy Access Poverty Preference for traditional biomass Increased socio-economic and environmental cost

Economic And Environmental Implication Of Deforestation For Energy Deforestation leads to ecological problems which imposes economic cost to already poor countries in Africa. Country Environmental damage Year % GNP Burkina Faso Crop, livestock and fuel wood losses due to land degradation 1988 8.8 Ethiopia Effects of deforestation on fuel wood supply and crop output 1983 6.0-9.0 Malawi Soil erosion and deforestation 2.5-15.2 Mali Effects of soil erosion on crop output 0.9-12.5 Nigeria Soil degradation, deforestation, water pollution, other erosion 1989 17.4

Energy, Poverty and Sustainable Development Eradicating poverty will involve 3 approaches: Lessen the descend of already poor households into deeper poverty Assist poor households to move out of poverty Mitigate potential causes of poverty for the non-poor Without the access to modern energy, poverty eradication and sustainable development cannot be achieved

Energy, Poverty and Sustainable Development The place of energy in sustainable development (SD) in Africa SD ensures inter and intra generational equity. SD typically considers the following factors: Social; Economic; and Environment. Currently, the energy situation in Africa does not fulfil the factors listed above Thus, the fourth pillar of SD (energy security) should be considered in any program for development.

Energy, Poverty and Sustainable Development Energy security considers the degree at which energy needed is available, accessible and affordable. Energy security refers to “a reliable and adequate supply of energy at reasonable prices”. Bielecki (2002) Energy security means ensuring that clean and modern forms of energy are available and affordable at the different household levels in the society. Jain (2010)

Flattening the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) for Deforestation in Africa The concept of the EKC Deforestation Per capita income The Kuznets Curve has been used to explain the relationship between deforestation and income in developing countries At early stage of development, environmental degradation is inevitable This trend peaks and begins to decline (the turning point) as per capita income grows

Flattening the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) for Deforestation in Africa Regulation could be utilised to discourage deforestation; however, this approach is fraught with a lot of problems. Regulation a one-sided solution? Restricting deforestation will not solve the problem of energy security. It may lead to a worsened case of welfare loss for poor households Low income countries have no incentives to reduce deforestation The need for the adoption of an incentive mechanism which ensures the implementation of a comprehensive forest-carbon management technique And provide finance streams for economic and energy development

NATIONAL INVENTORY APPROACH Energy, Deforestation and Development in Africa Deforestation Reforestation Afforestation Forest Degradation Forest Fires NATIONAL INVENTORY APPROACH Forest Conservation

Conclusion Energy is a significant driver of economic development and there is generally a positive relationship between energy consumption and economic development. The low per capita energy consumption in Africa and its heavy reliance on firewood for fuel presents unique challenges for the continent The current situation is unsustainable and requires urgent and deliberate intervention by policy makers The paper recommends the adoption of the National Inventory Approach It will enable Africa decouple deforestation from energy use while providing the necessary financial streams to provide modern energies to its populace.

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