Sustainable mountain development in East Africa in a changing climate
Hydropower Access to electricity is one of East Africa’s key constraints. In the majority of the subregion, less than 20 per cent of the population has access to electricity (UNEP, 2014). Firewood and charcoal remain the most common formof energy for cooking andheating in rural areas. Improved access to electricity would significantly contribute to energy security, poverty alleviation, improved health, increased productivity, enhanced competitiveness and economic growth. Furthermore, it would take pressure off forests and reduce deforestation. The ‘water towers’ of EastAfricaprovideopportunities for generating hydropower in the region, which could provide secure access to cleaner electricity and enhance economic development. In Africa as a whole, about 93 per cent of economically viable hydropower potential is unexploited. East Africa has a significant share of the rivers with high hydropower potential. Rivers in the Nile Basin, for example, have the potential to generate 20 gigawatts of electricity. The Blue Nile, which drops 1,300 metres down from Lake Tana to Sudan’s border could generate 8,000 megawatts (UNEP, 2014). The Mau Forest complex has the potential to generate an additional 508 megawatts – equivalent to half of Kenya’s current capacity (UNEP, 2014). The region has great potential for developing small, micro and pico-hydropower schemes due to the large number of smaller rivers that are not prone to drought and which can therefore provide a continuous source of power. According to the World Small Hydropower Development Report (UNIDO and ICSHP, 2013), East Africa, excluding DRC, has a total potential of 5,112 MW, of which only 125 MW is being realized. Kenya and Ethiopia have by far the largest potential: 3 000 MW and 1 500 MW, respectively. In addition to being more environmentally friendly, small
Ecosystem services: Energy
Atbara
SUDAN
ERITREA
Nile
Asmara
Khartoun
B l u e N i l e
68%
Setit
DJIBOUTI
Djibouti
50%
Dharoor
A w a s h
S o b a t
Addis Abeba
SOUTH SUDAN
ETHIOPIA
77%
Fafan
W h i t e N i l e
O m o
Shebelé
Juba
SOMALIA
Turkana Lake
UGANDA
KENYA
80%
DRC
Mogadishu
85%
Lake Albert
High elevation dams (at or above 1 500 m.a.s.l.) Geothermal prospect areas Small and micro hydropower plants (< 18 000 kW)
Jubba
Mt Elgon
Nyiragongo
Mt Kenya
Kampala
Nyamuragira
Lake Victoria
Tana
Muhabura
Nairobi
83%
Potential Sources of geothermal energy
RWANDA BURUNDI
Kigali
Kilimandjaro
Electrification rate (%)
Bujumbura
90%
76%
Percentage of population without access to electricity
TANZANIA
Lake Tanganyika
Dodoma
200 km
76%
Volcanoes
Active
Dormant Extinct
ZAMBIA
Sources: IEA,2014, “WorldEnergyOutlook2014”, InternationalEnergyAgency;UNIDOand ICSHP,2013, “Worldsmallhydropowerdevelopment report2013”,UnitedNtions IndustrialDevelopment Organizationand InternationalCenteronsmallHydroPower; UNEP,2014, “AfricaMountainsAtlas”, UnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme;StratfordGlobal Intelligence,2014, “Africa'sPromising ElectricitySources”,stratford.com (accessedDecember,2015);US-EAGP,2013, “Geothermalprospect areas inEastAfrica’sRiftValley region”,EastAfricaGeothermalPartnership,UnitedStatesEnergy Association. Copyright©2015GRID-Arendal ·Cartografare ilpresente/NievesLópez Izquierdo
Lake Nyasa (Malawi)
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