Sustainable energy solutions in East Africa: status, experiences and policy recommendations from NGOs in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda
This report focuses on the necessary framework for a sustainable energy project to succeed in addressing energy security and poverty reduction whilst being sustainable and environmentaly friendly. As such, the report summarises the experiences of local NGOs in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania which serve as a guideline for Norwegian support.
The report indicates that despite the significant potential for increasing the use of decentralised, modern and clean energy technologies, the majority of the rural population in East Africa depends on traditional fuels.
The paper underlines that small-scale energy solutions are often relatively cheap, and can quickly provide necessary energy services to rural communities in a clean and sustainable manner. Such small-scale solutions can play a particularly vital role in poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability and economic development.
The author draws the following recommendations:
- establish policies, institutional frameworks and legislative measures that enhance the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and translate them into action
- increase participation regarding energy issues, especially of end-users like women and other disadvantaged groups
- facilitate access to financing and invest more in decentralised energy systems, to reduce vulnerability and costs
- develop functional energy markets, and adapt the energy solutions to the local needs, opportunities and constraints
- strengthen research on relevant energy options, with the aim of improving their efficiency and supply
- energy projects to work closely with national governments, financial institutions, NGOs and development organisations to ensure that sustainable regulatory mechanisms, policies, financing are continuously developed.
