Africa gains momentum in green climate solutions to combat climate change
NAIROBI, Kenya: Promoting the widespread use of innovative technologies will be critical to combat the hostile effects of climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and many African countries are already leading the way with science-based solutions.
The Climate Technology Centre and Network ( CTCN) and World Agroforestry Centre ( ICRAF) provide support for countries in making sound policy, technology, and investment choices that lead to better approaches for mitigation, adaptation and resilience.
A satellite programme in Kenya measures the progressive impact of drought on loss of forage, triggering timely insurance payouts to help vulnerable pastoralists.
From biogas to solar installations and improved water conservation, success stories abound on the continent. The challenge now, experts say, is to scale them up. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency ( IRENA), Africa’s renewable power installed capacity could increase by 290 per cent between 2015 and 2030 — compared to 161 per cent for Asia and 43 per cent for Latin America.
The global Paris Accord is underpinned by its commitment to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, securing funding for alternative sources of energy and adaptation of technology in everyday activities that are geared towards shrinking humanity’s carbon footprint on the planet.
African countries have internalised and made considerable efforts towards these goals despite budgetary constraints, with the United Nations lauding the continent for embracing technology and innovation in its journey to fight climate change.
Jukka Uosukainen, CTCN’s director, spoke with IPS during the Climate Technology Centre and Network ( CTCN) Africa Regional Forum held in Nairobi, Kenya Apr 9 to Apr 10, stressing that technology is already changing the fortunes of people in the continent. For instance, Mali has successfully applied field contouring technology in rural areas such as Koutiala, reducing the volume of water runoff from 20 per cent to 50 per cent depending on the soil type.
“This has improved the yield of crops in an area that experienced severe drought and bettered the quality of livelihoods owing to a rise in income,” he noted.
Uosukainen said that Senegal has launched massive biogas digester projects through the National Biogas Program by implementing biomethanisation technologies that facilitate faster access to cleaner energy within the republic. The country also utilises tri- generation and cogeneration technologies that use waste as raw materials for energy production.
Furthermore, Mauritius has aptly integrated the use of boiler economisers, which capture the waste heat from boiler stack gases (called flue gas) and transfer it to the boiler feedwater. This has reduced the country’s dependence on imported fossil fuels, cutting energy costs and boosting socio- economic growth amongst its citizens.
Morocco has adopted photovoltaic technology that harnesses solar power for greater energy production. The Noor Ouarzazate IV power station spans 137 square kilometres and generates 582 megawatts of renewable energy for over 1 million people. This has helped increase the nation’s uptake of renewable energy sources to an impressive 42 per cent, lessening the rate of air pollution and enhancing quality of life.
In Kenya, a 630 MW geothermal plant has come on line, providing electricity for 500,000 households and 300,000 small and mediumsized enterprises. Kenya alone has the potential to generate 10,000 megawatts from its geothermal resources, says an analysis by Bridges Africa.
Tony Simons, director general of the World Agroforestry Center ( ICRAF), said that most African countries have chosen clean energy technologies as a part of their environmental solutions and ICRAF supports these efforts through its work in developing cleaner options for woody biomass-based energy, a key technology used across the continent. — IPS