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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