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Urban energy challenges in sub-Saharan Africa
Abstract
Sustainable energy supply challenges have provided key areas of concern in African cities. Considering the links between vegetation modification and woodfuel production, consumption and exchange in cities, academics and policy actors are turning attention to the matter as it forms key challenges to social and environmental sustainability. Researchers have warned that the dynamic impacts of a rapidly changing world economy including the limited physical availability of, and economic accessibility to, non-wood energy substitutes is challenging traditional resource management systems, and is threatening the long-term diversification and sustainability of local and regional systems in urban centres. This project reviewed attempts to deal with the problems through scientific/technical sector-based interventions designed and implemented through science-based action plans. Observed outcomes often show disappointing results. It became clear therefore that sustainable solutions require social transformation to be achieved through co-designing of projects which must involve community mobilization and empowerment. In the drylands of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where there are presently several cities with huge population that continue to expand through high growth rates and rural urban migration, the Dryland Network (DRYCON) aimed to co-design a research project focussed on mitigating and/or leading to sustainable adaptation to dryland conditions. The project mobilized different expert groups and other stakeholders on urban management to work as a team and built trust to address the urban energy challenges through socio-cultural interventions. The Network focused sustainable transition to renewable and more sustainable energy. So far, the group has been fully mobilized and has created an acceptable learning environment through dialogue, negotiations, and a sense of humility amongst the different group members.
... In addition, the content analysis used conceptualisations from other literature on improving energy access in general. These conceptualisations included the need for majority of shares to be held by local community [50,52]; and majority of economic and social benefits to be distributed locally [53,54]. ...
... There was a consensus in the literature that local communities should be engaged from the onset to the end of the project. The table below summarizes the key arguments for stakeholder engagement in community projects in SSA [52,54,68,[72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84]. A co-design form of engagement was proposed by various authors as an effective strategy for engaging different stakeholders at all levels [52,54,80,81]. ...
... The table below summarizes the key arguments for stakeholder engagement in community projects in SSA [52,54,68,[72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84]. A co-design form of engagement was proposed by various authors as an effective strategy for engaging different stakeholders at all levels [52,54,80,81]. However, the authors have not elaborated on how the co-design engagements can be conducted in order to achieve the desired outcomes. ...
Energy communities have received considerable attention in the Global North, especially in Europe, due to their potential for achieving sustainable energy transitions. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), energy communities have received less attention partly due to the nascent energy systems in many emerging SSA states. In this paper, we argue that these nascent energy systems offer an opportunity to co-create energy communities that can tackle the energy access challenges faced by most SSA countries. To understand how such energy communities are realised in the sub-region, we undertake a systematic review of research on energy communities in 46 SSA countries. Our findings show that only a few energy projects exhibit the conventional characteristics of energy communities; In most of these projects, local communities are inadequately resourced to institute and manage their own projects. We thus look to stakeholder engagement approaches to propose co-design as a strategy for strengthening energy communities in SSA. We further embed our co-design proposal in energy democracy thinking to argue that energy communities can be a pathway towards equity and energy justice in SSA. We conclude that energy communities can indeed contribute to improving energy access in Africa, but they need an enabling policy environment to foster their growth and sustainability.
... What is maybe surprising is the range of outputs and outcomes achieved. Besides the immediate goal of the codesign process, namely, to develop a research proposal and a well-organized team to implement it, if funded, the co-design itself involved active research [47,48,50,74], produced peer-reviewed publications [46,75] along with a number of non-academic outputs [43,50] . For the limited amount of seed funding available, these intense codesign periods appear to be highly productive. ...
... Actors located in places that faced logistical challenges of participation (e.g. people located in low-income, remote places, places of conflict [74]). Actors whose cultural socialization and personal lives resulted in priorities, values, and meanings from activities, outputs and outcomes that were sometimes quite different than those important to researchers (e.g. ...
... The contributions to this SI make clear, however, that the challenges go beyond becoming familiar with each other's disciplinary or practice-specific jargon. In a number of instances, this issue was aggravated by English being the dominant language, but not an easy one for all participants to converse in [74]. Lack of familiarity with cultural differences, and the particular challenge of coming to a common understanding across value differences were singled out repeatedly [76] . ...
Increasingly, ‘co-design’ is a key concept and approach in global change and sustainability research, in the scholarship on science–policy interactions, and an expressed expectation in research programs and initiatives. This paper situates co-design and then synthesizes insights from real-life experiences of co-developing research projects in this Special Issue. It highlights common co-design elements (parameters and considerations of co-design and purpose-driven engagement activities); discusses challenges experienced in co-design and then emphasizes a range of rarely articulated benefits of co-design for both researchers, societal partners and the work they aim to do together. The paper summarizes some of the knowledge gains on social transformation to sustainability from the co-design phase and concludes that co-design as a process is an agent of transformation itself.
... Lehmann contributed to the discussion undertaken by Tanko, as he analyzed energy systems and resource management challenges in rapidly developing cities in the Southeast Asia region. Based on the Southeast Asian Urban Nexus project, Lehmann studied the integration of resource management processes that increased resource efficiency and infrastructure investments that reduced CO 2 emissions and reduced the amount of produced waste [50]. ...
... On the basis of the adopted research methodology, the publications were also divided according to the criterion of the studied area. In this case, solutions from this broadly defined energy area were examined based on case studies of cities, [69,82,111,138,139], regions/local governments [50,80,140,141], or countries [142][143][144][145][146] (see Figure 1). ...
Environmental protection is currently one of the key priority areas of the European Union (EU). The search for effective solutions for the supply and use of energy in cities is currently a key topic. The reduction in gas emissions and the use of renewable energy sources are goals that result from environmental aspects. The purpose of this publication is to conduct a literature review in the area of municipal energy management. Municipal energy management systems integrate many areas, from energy supply systems and the modernization of public transport to the energy demand reduction of residential and commercial facilities. The results of the literature review research have allowed for the classification of articles based on the following criteria: research methodology, research purpose, research data collection method, use of research results article type, and research subject area.
... Thirdly, in the context of SSA, the key driver of wood fuel demand is the need to provide affordable and dependable energy to low-income households (6), (4), (1). SSA has the lowest electricity access and relatively underdeveloped infrastructure (8), (7). Sub-Saharan African growth rate 3 was 2.5 and the average per capita income was around 4069 $ in 2021 (16) making it one of the regions with the fastest population growth and lowest per capita income in the world. ...
... As a result, there is an urgent need to reduce corruption levels. Extreme poverty has an impact on RE development (Tanko, 2016) due to factors such as the inability to pay bills, theft, and vandalism (Jessel et al., 2019). However, sociocultural barriers such as lack of information and gender issues can easily be solved by sensitizing the general population hence ranked low. ...
... Recently, some scholars have critiqued the theoretical basis of African urban households' clean energy transitions. In the opinion of [17] and [18], it is imperative for academic and policymakers to consider engagement of end users in co-production of solutions to the energy crisis. ...
The average household access to electricity in Nigeria is estimated at four hours per day. This paradoxical energy crisis in a top oil and gas exporting country makes an interesting case for local and global players in the sustainable energy agenda. The current study showcases experiences of households that installed and use solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies in urban Africa. It identifies the key sociotechnical transition issues that shape the households’ solar energy adoption strategies. To get a clear picture of the situation, the study focuses on the Kano urban agglomeration—a densely populated city with high economic activities. To answer the research question, the sampled respondents shared their experiences via questionnaire and interviews. Similarly, field observations guided the research team to identify patterns of household solar energy use, and how urban planning, building, and roofing types inhibit solar energy utilisation. From the results of the study, it appeared that households use solar energy for lighting, energising rechargeable appliances, and cooling of houses. Nevertheless, none of the respondents use solar photovoltaics (PVs) for cooking—the biggest consumer of fuelwood in Nigeria. Finally, this study is optimistic that despite the challenges identified, the transition to clean energy security in Africa is achievable through coordinated efforts of people, industry, and governments. The transition to renewables by households promises significant changes that can lever the mainstreaming of the UN Sustainable Development Goals-SDG no. 7.
... A quick glance at the table of contents reveals the diversity of contributions, each with a unique topical focus-ranging from transforming agriculture and food systems [29,[33][34][35], to transforming the management of sensitive regions and natural resources [36][37][38], transforming cities [39][40][41], transforming social systems [27,42,43] and transforming social practices and research itself [28,44,45]. Moreover, its authors -and their societal partners engaged in the projects' development -come from all over the world. ...
This chapter examines the energy issue in Africa, specifically addressing the difficulties and possibilities it encounters in order to fulfill its increasing energy demands. It emphasizes the need to use clean and sustainable energy sources to promote both economic development and environmental preservation. The problem is a result of inadequate energy infrastructure, constrained energy output, financial limitations, political and legal barriers, environmental effects, and reliance on conventional fuels. The investigation uncovers shortcomings in energy infrastructure, such as transmission and distribution networks, and an unpredictable power generation capacity. The energy system's restricted energy production and lack of variety result in a significant reliance on fossil fuels and hydropower, rendering it vulnerable to supply disruptions and the impacts of climate change. The financial constraints primarily target infrastructure maintenance and investments in renewable energy technologies to enhance power accessibility and reliability. Corruption and inefficiency in the energy business are crucial factors for maximizing resource use and fostering sustainable development in Africa. The political and policy challenges revolve around the need for a transparent and responsible government that fosters foreign investment and cultivates a competitive energy market. The environmental consequences underscore the need to embrace sustainable energy solutions in order to mitigate the impacts of climate change and preserve natural resources for future generations. The chapter also explores progress in renewable energy in Africa, with a particular emphasis on effective initiatives and schemes that promote sustainable energy sources. It tackles any residual concerns to guarantee widespread acceptance of renewable technologies across the continent. This chapter analyses the economic impacts of energy development in Africa, emphasizing the potential of investments in renewable energy to stimulate economic growth, provide job opportunities, increase access to electricity, and enhance the standard of living for African people. It emphasizes the need for achieving a harmonious equilibrium between economic expansion and safeguarding the environment, as well as addressing social inequalities in energy accessibility.
The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) supports local authorities in Sub-Saharan Africa in the climate challenge and in their efforts in ensuring access to clean energy. It is one of the "Regional Covenant" of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM).This document has been prepared to assist Sub-Saharan Africa local authorities in preparing a Climate Action Plan. It provides step-by-step guidance and examples of measures relevant for local authorities in Sub Saharan context.
In this millennium, global drylands face a myriad of problems that present tough research, management, and policy challenges. Recent advances in dryland development, however, together with the integrative approaches of global change and sustainability science, suggest that concerns about land degradation, poverty, safeguarding biodiversity, and protecting the culture of 2.5 billion people can be confronted with renewed optimism. We review recent lessons about the functioning of dryland ecosystems and the livelihood systems of their human residents and introduce a new synthetic framework, the Drylands Development Paradigm (DDP). The DDP, supported by a growing and well-documented set of tools for policy and management action, helps navigate the inherent complexity of desertification and dryland development, identifying and synthesizing those factors important to research, management, and policy communities.
Ensuring energy security increasingly requires expanding both yield and resilience of supply through source diversification. In this study, the current energy situation of Nigeria is presented through a detailed literature review. The survey reveals that access to the national grid is limited, and the power delivered to areas classified as urban with grid connection is very unreliable. An initial assessment of the potential utilization of solar based technologies for electricity generation is presented for three strategically located Nigerian cities of Onitsha, Kano and Lagos. These cities are known for their large commercial activities, and their frequent power outages hinder their business and socio-economic development. The solar resources are modeled using synthetic hourly meteorological data for a complete year in typical meteorological year format. On an annual basis, Kano has the largest average daily global horizontal resources (6.08 kWh m-2), while these resources are practically equal for Onitsha (4.43 kWh m-2) and Lagos (4.42 kWh m-2). For dual axis tracking, which maximizes utilization of solar resources, the monthly range of daily average solar insolation for all locations varies between 3.65 kWh m-2 and 8.00 kWh m-2. A standalone photovoltaic system on a tilted surface is sized to meet a representative household demand based on intuitive and numerical simulation sizing methodologies. These sizing methodologies are general and can be applied to any location. The estimated PV capacity and the corresponding unit cost of electricity ranged from 1.26 kWp at 0.206 USD kWh-1 to 2.92 kWp at 0.502 USD kWh-1 for the selected cities. The results show that the unit cost of electricity from the proposed standalone PV systems is lower than that for the widely-utilized diesel generators. It is concluded that standalone PV electricity is technically and economically viable for urban residential application in Nigeria considering the current infrastructure and energy policies.
This article critically explores competing knowledge claims over soil fertility in and around Kano, northern Nigeria’s largest city. Drawing on methods from both the natural and social sciences, the analysis explores an apparent mismatch between local and scientific knowledge claims, and the methodological complexities of assessing soil fertility are revealed. In doing so, the paper contributes to an emerging literature which suggests that the integration of different knowledge bases is critical for understanding the complex problems of environmental sustainability. More specifically, assessments of soil fertility must not be viewed in isolation of local knowledge of environment, or livelihood diversity and change. In the case of Kano, both the environmental perceptions and soil management regimes of those living in the peri-urban interface are increasingly shaped by pressures associated with urban expansion. The article concludes that understanding soil fertility change is a complex process that must be allied to broader livelihood concerns, if sustainable environmental policies are to be initiated in the years to come.
In recent years, the densely populated region around the burgeoning city of Kano in northern Nigeria has been the focus of much academic enquiry into the links between vegetation modification and fuelwood production and consumption. While many scholars have praised the socio-economic and ecological sustainability of Kano's rural–urban interface, arguing that indigenous agro-forestry systems will continue to resist urban fuelwood pressures for many years to come, other less optimistic observers have warned that exposure to a rapidly changing world economy is challenging traditional resource management systems like never before. Focusing on the case of Kano and its resource hinterlands, recent field-based evidence presented in this paper suggests that the latter supposition may be gaining increasing currency. In peri-urban regions, the rising prices of kerosene and other petroleum-based domestic fuels, coupled with the economic knock-on effects of a current petro-boom, are making fuelwood a much more attractive alternative as a domestic fuel choice. As lower and middle-income households shift away from commercial petroleum-based energy sources in favour of cheaper and more readily available biomass alternatives, it may be placing increased pressure on woodland resources and Kano's surrounding rural ecology: in the hinterlands of the city, local perceptions of research informants suggest that deteriorating economic conditions have driven some individuals to ‘step up’ fuelwood production to meet rising peri-urban demands. Although the intention of the paper is not to perpetuate crisis narratives or to suggest that fuelwood demand is causing runaway deforestation, the evidence presented does suggest that as conventional fuels become progressively more expensive, the poorest and most disadvantaged households may find it increasingly challenging to meet their basic energy needs.
Deforestation is a serious problem in Sudano-Sahelian Nigeria though afforestation is needed and appears to be a priority of government. Afforestation programme has failed primarily because of government’s (in)actions that appear to pitch government policies against its practices, differences between what the grassroots want and what governmental bodies with responsibility for afforestation can provide, financial constraints that have hamstrung field operations and operators. Also, people do not believe that government is serious about afforestation. The causes of deforestation include lack of effective alternative energy options for majority of people, high profit margins in the fuelwood economy and recent energy policies of government. The tyranny of the energy market discourages use of environmental knowledge in household energy policy decisions. Many households using alternative energy prior to the present condition of enduring energy scarcity have reverted to the use of fuelwood causing reversed energy transition and increased rates of deforestation. Solutions to the deforestation problem must be anchored in programmes that improve socioeconomic security of the poor, enable them to procure alternative (non-biomass) energy and lighten pressure on forest resources dependence for energy. Framing of macro-economic policies should give consideration to their implications for the poor and the natural environment.