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The demand for energy in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries is rapidly increasing. This can be attributed to the increase in human population and standard of living in the region. Owing to the increasing energy demand, there is a need for proper energy planning. Energy system models are used in exploring the energy futures of countries and regions. Use of the wrong models has resulted in unrealistic projections and consequently poor energy policies. It is against this backdrop that this study was conceived. This paper aims to identify what class of energy system models that are most suitable for energy system analysis in SSA countries. Literature was initially reviewed to understand the basic characteristics of the energy systems of SSA countries. The paper then heads on to systematically identify what types of energy system models have been used in SSA countries, using the Scopus database search platform. The result of this extensive review suggests that the bottom-up optimization and the accounting framework class of energy models are best suited for SSA countries. However, the paper further opine that the existing energy system models are not capable of characterizing the energy system of SSA countries fully. Hence, there is a need to develop new energy system models or modify the already existing ones in order to capture all the features of SSA countries. Thus, this study will be of importance to energy analysts, researchers and policy makers when selecting energy system models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an energy efficiency assessment of 46 African countries and analyzes possible bidirectional relationship between energy efficiency and economic development within a three-stage framework. In the first stage, energy efficiency is measured within a total factor framework using the slack-based measure with undesirable output and sub-regional comparisons are done. The second stage assesses the determinants of energy efficiency in Africa by way of a bootstrapped truncated regression. The third stage tests the reverse causal relationship between energy efficiency and economic development using 2-stage least squares. The results showed African countries to be on average, 56% energy efficient within the study period. Other African sub-regions could adopt the energy efficiency policies of North Africa as benchmark to improve energy efficiency. Economic development and technological progress are found to have significant positive effects on energy efficiency of African countries, while higher energy prices lead to higher inefficiency. Also, a bi-causal relationship is found to exist between total factor energy efficiency and economic development, giving support to the concept of sustainable development and confirming the International Energy Agency's assertion on the positive macroeconomic impacts of energy efficiency. African countries are therefore, encouraged to invest in energy efficiency technologies and policies to drive sustainable economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the establishment of the Climate Convention and its recent Paris Agreement, capacity building has been considered as a fundamental prerequisite for achieving the goals of the climate regime. Various institutional architectures have been explored, while the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21) established the Paris Committee on Capacity-Building aiming to address needs and gaps, along with promoting current, emerging, and further capacity-building efforts. Efforts to build capacity have been underway for decades but have largely failed in their objectives as they were not designed from, and rooted in, the local context. Drawing from the author's more than 40 years of personal experience in capacity building in Africa, this paper sheds light on the systemic challenges involved in building capacities. Arrangements that do not entail working on, or being led by, an agenda set by those in capacity needs are not, by definition, capacity mobilization or capacity building efforts. It is argued that capacity is tied to self-reliance and self-determination and thus ability to set and pursue the recipient's own agenda must be at the core of development narratives. Key policy insights Self-reliance and self-determination are at the core of capacity development. Therefore, countries need to set and pursue their own agenda by creating and following a bottom-up and inclusive development narrative. Intellectual, financial, and other important resources need to fall under the control of local leadership. Partnerships and networks of research centres think tanks and similar institutions in the South should be created and maintained to build capacities. Climate change, while a global issue, must be addressed based on a deep understanding of the local and national contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green hydrogen is globally seen as a universal fuel, feedstock or energy carrier and storage. The study aims to examine the role of the emerging green hydrogen market in developing countries in Africa. The goal is to indentify key factors that may either positively or negatively affect the development of green hydrogen energy in Africa. Several developing countries have been identified as potential key players in green hydrogen production: South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, and Namibia. These countries are expected to play a vital part in the development of hydrogen technologies due to favourable climatic conditions for the production of low-cost renewable energy, the possibility of exporting hydrogen to EU countries, and the presence of various national policy initiatives (national hydrogen strategies) and international partnerships (the Africa Green Hydrogen Alliance). The results showed that green hydrogen will boost economic development in African countries, stimulate investment and create new jobs. The study also identifies several barriers that could affect the development of green hydrogen in Africa: high investment costs for hydrogen infrastructure, financing, weak institutions, water scarcity and the imbalance between hydrogen for local use and for export. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, we explore the practices and spaces of mobile phone charging in The Gambia and Sierra Leone through the lens of 'electricity scarcity' as a means to conceptualise electricity access in West Africa. The International Energy Agency (IEA) is seen as the leading authority on the state of global energy access, and is frequently cited by government and non-government bodies. We, however, suggest that the IEA's quantitative and binary framing of electricity access is analytically problematic for understanding energy poverty. Using ethnographic methods, including observation and semi-structured interviews, we provide insights into the changing socio-technological, socio-political and socio-economic dimensions of mobile phone charging including its relationship with the built environment. Comparing mobile phone charging in The Gambia and Sierra Leone, clearly shows that the notion of absolute electricity scarcity which is promulgated by IEA statistics only offers a limited picture of energy poverty, especially at the locale. Instead, drawing on political ecology scholarship, we propose a concept of political electricity scarcity as an approach enables a more human-centred and nuanced understanding of how energy poverty operates or is mitigated through community-based structures or at a household level. By reframing energy poverty issues through this lens, we are able to illustrate the role that political economy dynamics play in shaping the electricity flows in rural Sub-Saharan Africa and who ultimately gets what kind of electricity access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of gendered energy transition at an urban scale has emerged as a challenging issue for researchers, policy makers and practitioners. With municipalities becoming players in the energy markets, their involvement raises policy issues that need to be better assessed in supporting gendered energy transition. This paper, therefore, contributes to gendered energy transition assessments at urban household level from a policy maker perspective. We developed a system dynamics model to assess the effects of urban energy policy interventions on household energy consumption and gendered measures using Drakenstein Municipality as a case study. The study used secondary data from various sources for the model parameters. We tested three hypothetical policy scenarios: the business-as-usual, the energy subsidy policy and the energy efficiency policy. The results show that understanding the changes in urban household energy consumption and gendered measures due to energy transition interventions is essential for urban policy planning. The energy subsidy policy scenario was observed to increase total energy consumption but also resulted in socio-environmental impacts that might increase inequality and impair human health. Urban household energy transition interventions need to consider a systems approach to develop decision support tools that capture the cross-sector impacts and inform the development of interventions that promote gendered household energy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuelwood plays an important role in the rural economy of the developing countries of Asia and Africa. Optimizing energy fixation in forest trees through high density energy plantations (HDEP), gasification of wood, and conversion of forest tree biomass, are some of the potential areas whereby additional research and development input for efficient management of atmospheric carbon in our energy system can be incorporated. For example, the photosynthetic efficiency of forest trees is rarely above 0.5%, which on the basis of theoretical considerations can be increased by up to 6.6%. Thus there is an ample scope to improve the efficiency up to 1%, which amounts to doubling of the productivity of the forests. Recent policy changes and experiences with wood-based bio-energy programmes in several countries indicate that woodfuels may become increasingly attractive as industrial energy sources. Use of biodiesel and the formulation of a project for undertaking 13.4 million ha of Jatropha plantations in India highlight the seriousness with which the Government of India is promoting carbon neutral energy plantations. The cost of establishment of plantations primarily for fuel production and its conversion to energy are major deterrents in this pursuit. Some of the issues in developing countries, like low productivity on marginal lands, degraded forest lands, and unorganized units for biomass energy conversion, result in cost escalation as compared to other energy sources. This paper revisits the scope for raising energy plantations, a comparison of the direct and indirect mitigation potential uses of plantations as an adaptation strategy through reforestation and afforestation projects for climate change mitigation and socio-economic issues to make this venture feasible in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that to better understand the evolution of EU-Africa relations it is necessary to decentre the EU's external action and concurrently recentre Africa's international agency, while also interrogating the rise of new powers in Africa. Decentring Europe and recentring Africa means challenging the assumptions that Africa needs Europe more than Europe needs Africa and that African states should align with the EU in international settings in defence of the existing global order. By provincializing the EU and engaging extensively with African voices, this article uses the Russo-Ukrainian conflict to unpack key divides between the EU and Africa on whether and how to isolate Russia, explore its consequences for food security in Africa, and expose some contradictions in the EU's energy policy. It concludes that reconstruction in EU-Africa relations means that the EU should make grounded efforts to treat Africa as a true partner, not an afterthought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses ways in which oil-rich countries can escape the ‘resource curse’ through the implementation of effective fiscal and revenue management policies. A comparative study of the policies of Norway and Nigeria is conducted. The analysis suggests that a rule-based approach to fiscal policy together with a natural resource fund should be the benchmark policy framework in oil-producing countries. The analysis also suggests that Nigeria can learn from Norway's experience. Nigeria can adopt a cautionary fiscal rule to ensure that consumption is limited to a stream of returns from accumulated financial assets to prevent volatility in the economy. In addition, Nigeria should enhance transparency of their oil fund through ethical policy guidelines. Accounting for the structural differences from Norway, Nigeria should direct a portion of oil revenues to finance expenditure on public goods and infrastructure that could serve as a platform for private investments, job creation and long-term growth. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Achieving sustainable energy development in a region requires rational use of energy resources and technologies, and the development of appropriate policies. Three concerns are therefore required to achieve these issues: (i) to acquire a picture of the local current energy situation, (ii) to measure the state of development and the progress towards a sustainable energy system, and (iii) to have energy decision- and policy-makers fully aware of the implications on sustainable development of selected policies. It is in this perspective and in the frame of activities on sustainable energy for all and access to energy in developing countries carried out by the UNESCO Chair in Energy for Sustainable Development, that we developed this review. The objective of this paper is to depict the current energy situation of Africa by using the most up to date data, describing it as far as the concept of sustainable development is concerned, and to see if and how energy policies promoted by local players fit with this asset. We assess the energy situation of Africa by combining (i) data, mainly by the International Energy Agency, about national energy balances for primary and electric energy, the Energy Development Index and energy resources, with (ii) a more comprehensive analysis of the African energy system, accomplished by the Energy Indicators for Sustainable Development. An overview of the energy-related policies and action plans developed by different local players in the African continent is also carried out with the goal of providing remarks by coupling such plans with the above mentioned energy analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nigeria is endowed with abundant energy resources, both conventional and renewable, which can potentially provide the country with a sufficient capacity to meet the ambitions of both urban and rural Nigerians of a full, nationwide electrification level. Yet, Nigeria has one of the lowest consumption rates of electricity per capita in Africa. With the demand superseding the generation, there is inequitable access of rural communities to the electricity service in the country. There are inherent obstacles militating against the effective implementation of an orderly energy policy in Nigeria. The inefficiencies overshadowing the allocation of energy resources coupled with the near depletion of fossil fuels, make it imperative for the country to exploit its huge natural renewable resources to avoid a worsening energy supply scenario and provide feasible electricity to rural dwellers. This paper presents a review of renewable energy potentials in Nigeria to be tapped for useful and uninterrupted electric energy supply. The extent of renewable energy resources is described and existing government policies are articulated. Various polices, that could possibly incentivize the realization of wider renewable energy applications in rural Nigeria, are proposed. The challenges and future prospects of renewable energy are also discussed. Dissemination of decentralized renewable energy resources will not only improve the wellbeing of rural Nigerian communities, but also enhance Nigeria's energy and economic prospects for potential global investment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This special issue has presented some of the specific findings of the RE-Impact Project which was commissioned and funded by the EuropeAid Cooperation Office from 2007 until its conclusion in 2010. The project aimed to provide impact assessment frameworks and influence relevant policies through direct involvement in bioenergy projects and policy analysis in South Africa, Uganda, India and China. The papers summarised here have covered issues related to Jatropha curcas and forest-based bioenergy in these countries. Taking an overall look at the project findings we can identify a number of general conclusions relevant for the future of bioenergy and rural development in Africa and Asia. First, only local and context-specific sustainability assessment can identify the risk and responsibilities of the different groups and the exact impact on the environment. Second, many initiatives both in biofuels and forest-based bioenergy are marred by a lack of understanding of the life-cycle financial analysis. Third, careful consideration of local physical and social conditions and the economics of the production chain can identify real opportunities for rural development using bioenergy. The current global impasse in bioenergy policies could actually be advantageous to the development of bioenergy in developing countries. Without the pressure from America and Europe to develop bioenergy systems for climate change mitigation, countries in Africa and Asia may have the breathing room to shape bioenergy systems for their own internal energy supply in an orderly fashion. However, in order to avoid environmental and social impacts it will be necessary to articulate together elements of a number of measures including market-based certification, national policy formulation, national legislation, impact assessments, sustainability planning, land use planning, research, monitoring and evaluation taking into account country and project specific sustainability criteria. Unfortunately, many of the countries in Africa and Asia where bioenergy can play an important role still lack institutional structures able to articulate this sustainable development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Africa has immense energy challenges, characterised by low rates of access to electricity, irregularities and a general shortage in electricity supply. Solar energy provides African governments with the opportunity to address these challenges. With an average quantity of five to six kilowatts of power from the sun per square metre per day, the continent has vast potential for producing energy from the sun. The moderate success that Kenya has achieved in its solar energy industry is commendable and provides a good platform for other countries aspiring to extend electrification to its population through solar energy. China's emerging capabilities in solar technology also offers the continent the opportunity to take decisive steps towards sustainable energy. The proposed partnership between China's Tianpu Xianxing Enterprise and Kenya's Electrogen Technologies to build a solar panel factory in Kenya is a positive step towards addressing energy challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor access to electricity remains a major hindrance to the economic development in Central Africa sub-region. To address this issue the Central African Power Pool (CAPP) has been established with the vision to create and manage a regional cross-borders exchange of electricity based on the development of the sub-region's enormous hydropower potential. However, the implementation of this vision is struggling with poor visibility on information related to the potential and the state-of-the-art of the development of hydropower in the member states. The objective of this work is to review the literature and data pertaining to the potential of hydropower and state of development in Cameroon, in the perspective of full access to energy in Central Africa as targeted by CAPP. The reviewed documents include both research articles and reports of investigative works carried out in the field of hydropower by various technical commissions since 1970s. This encompasses conventional hydropower at large and small schemes, storage dams and, pumped-storage for which a comprehensive synthesis of the available data and information appears crucial. A better understanding of the current state of hydropower in the country is provided as well some policy recommendations for a hydro-based development of the power sector in the whole sub-region. It is hoped that this paper contributes to synthesising the various assessments of Cameroon's hydropower potential, so as to address the issue of lack of visibility on data and information in the sector, as this has hitherto been a handicap to the fulfilment of the pool's vision. • The present situation and upcoming development of Central Africa Power Pool is discussed. • The pivotal role of Cameroon in achieving Central Africa Power Pool's objective is highlighted. • Many large hydropower and storage plants in Cameroon might feed the Inga-Calabar power highway. • Small-hydropower and pumped-storage are showing good prospects for electrifying many remote areas in Cameroon. • A few hydropower projects are under construction while most of them are still awaiting financing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the impact of renewable energy consumption on economic growth in developing economies of Sub-Saharan Africa. To demonstrate its findings in detail, the research study adopts a panel data estimation technique for 23 African countries for the period from 1986 to 2015. The results describe that renewable energy has been playing an important role as a production input. Therefore, Sub- Saharan Africa countries need to adopt intensive promotion policies for renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study details an application of an improved Water Poverty Index (iWPI) to investigate and assess state of water resources in 53 African countries for the period 2000–2012 with a special focus on an international comparison of water poverty among northern and sub-Saharan countries. A multi-faceted approach that combines physical estimates of water availability with socio-economic drivers of poverty and environmental factors, has been used to do such comparison. It is with this in mind that the iWPI was developed based on the theoretical foundations and recent development of the water poverty approach. This would permit an inclusive comprehension of the crosscutting nature of water issues and their impacts on human wellbeing and environment. The results highlight an obvious dissimilarity of water poverty situation between more developed, but water-poor countries located principally in North Africa with that of lower-income and water-rich countries in sub-Saharan region. This can be used to inform policy makers, governments, donors and other stakeholders to assist in prioritization of appropriate policies to be taken towards better service delivery and sustainable water management across space and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Forestry Review is the property of Commonwealth Forestry Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses the relationship between economic growth and electricity consumption (EC) in African nations including Egypt, Nigeria and Sudan from 1970-2010. It notes the Markov-Switching (MS)-Granger causality between EC and economic growth through the MS Vector Autoregression (MS-VAR) model. It concludes that the increase of energy supply in Africa remains an appropriate option for economic growth due to the emergence of energy policies that aimed at improving energy infrastructure.

Sourcing sufficient supplies of energy to meet rapidly growing domestic demand is a major challenge for both China and India. The choices these two giants have made to meet that challenge in recent years will have long-term repercussions for the rest of the world. Although efforts to join forces in a global search for energy security are unlikely to overcome deeply ingrained Indian suspicions of China, both countries have already signed a series of energy co-operation agreements indicating the two states are seeking each other as strategic partners. This study provides an overview of the incentives for Sino-Indian co-operation in satisfying domestic oil demands. It will also examine the implications of such collaboration on regional and global orders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of the recently developed European Union (EU) Biofuels Strategy, the literature is reviewed to examine (a) the coherency of biofuel production with the EU nonindustrial vision of agriculture, and (b) given its insufficient land base, the implications of a proposed bioenergy pact to grow biofuel crops in the developing world to meet EU biofuel demands. The EU acknowledged that the use of food crops for biofuel production was based on wrong assumptions concerning climate change mitigation, and its support has now shifted to second-generation nonfood crops. The bioenergy pact entails (a) biofuel crops production in developing countries, especially Africa, that in the absence of environmental and social regulations may lead to ethical trade-offs in land use (food vs. fuel) and (b) the use of transgenic technology that conflicts with the EU's own vision of sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the Economist Nicholas Stern's review on the economic climate changes. Stern focused on several issues including, whether or not climate changes is a serious and urgent issue, whether or not Africa is already experiencing the damaging effect of greater climate variability and changes, and whether or not technology and economic instruments are crucial. He confirmed the Great Britain's energy policy. He suggested fixing the perceived market failure by a mechanism that can reduce emissions.

Argues that the instrumentalization of natural resources, anchored by oil, is redefining U.S. relations with sub-Saharan African states as part of U. S. to create an informal global empire. Details of a symposium that made linkage between the effort to combat terrorism and the U. S. consumption of African Oil; Focus of the national energy policy of U. S.; Salient elements for the declaration of the Gulf of Guinea as vital to U. S national security; Negative side of petroleum exploration in Africa.