What Contribution can China Make to Inclusive Growth in SSA?

Despite rapid economic growth the numbers living in absolute poverty in Africa have grown. The absence of inclusive growth can be traced to the structure of globalisation, the advance of financialisation and the trajectory of technological progress. A number of disruptive forces in which China has played a major role offer the possibility of moving from this exclusive growth strategy – terms of trade reversal, shifting markets and new paradigms of innovation. By providing cheap consumer and capital goods, new market opportunities and new more appropriate technologies, China has the capacity to help Africa move to a more sustainable growth path. However, this is not an inevitable outcome, and outcomes will also be contextual. The extent to which Africa is able to take advantage of opportunities opened up by China to move to a new more inclusive growth path will largely be determined by political factors, but these, too, are not independent of China’s increasing economic and political footprint, both globally and in its direct relations with Africa

Water use options for regional development : potentials of new water technologies in Central Northern Namibia

The CuveWaters project relates the alignment and implementation of innovative water technologies to an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in the Cuvelai-Etosha-Basin, which lies in Central Northern Namibia. The aim here is to improve inhabitants’ living conditions by means of appropriate technical schemes and measures – particularly with a view to enhancing water supply and basic sanitation (incl. waste water disposal). A focal part of Cuve-Waters concerns the re-use of water, efficient use of water and utilisation of different water qualities for different purposes (multi-resource mix). With respect to urban conditions and the problems of adequate supply and sanitation, the prospect of a semi-decentralised infrastructure system is under investigation, a concept which includes rainwater utilisation as well as waste water collection and treatment. One major option for such systems, in which waste water is considered a valuable resource, is a washing house combining effective waste water collection (vacuum sewer) with high-tech separation techniques (generation of energy, nutrients and waste water processing). Cleaned waste water – free of bacteria, viruses or pathogens – and fertiliser from an anaerobic waste water treatment plant can be re-used for irrigation in small scale agriculture to enhance food security and/or generate alternative income through the marketing of fresh produce. Energy, in the form of biogas, can be used for cooking or lighting. On the rural sites of the study area, adequate water supply poses a major challenge, for which three technology options are investigated here: rainwater harvesting, solar-coupled desalination of brackish groundwater, and managed aquifer recharge. Suitable technology options are selected for different sites in a participatory process (cf. CuveWaters Project 2008a, CuveWaters Project 2008b). Thus, general aims of the project in terms of providing regional economic impetus and improving livelihoods are: - to link integrated water resources management to land issues, develop the technology needed to build capacity, and achieve better governance; - to bring together supply- and demand-driven approaches in developing the infrastructure; - to consider water as related to other resources (land, energy, nutrients) and other fields of sustainability such as poverty reduction, equality and regional development. From these project objectives arise the key questions driving the surveys documented in this paper: what impetus for regional development can be expected from the implementation of technological options selected for the CuveWaters project? What constraints and obstacles need to be considered here, particularly in terms of incorporating the technologies into strategies of IWRM? What conclusions can be drawn when it comes to the supervision of implementation (training, capacity building, governance)? After an introduction the economic and social situation in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin along with the conditions for urban agriculture is outlined. This is followed by the discussion of the potentials for water-related activities in the region, taking into account additional water uses and the operation and development of infrastructures, whilst investigating the potentials of urban agriculture for Central Northern Namibia. Finally, these potentials are summarized and conclusions pertaining to flanking measures for technical implementation are drawn

Rural energy development in developing countries : South and East Sub-Saharan Africa

Includes bibliographical references.There are some common characteristics of rural communities throughout the world. They tend to lack a good economic infrastructure, essential social amenities, tourist potential, good road infrastructure, literacy, and most importantly, scarcity of sufficient energy supply to meet basic needs, and deteriorating environments due to increasing pressure on available traditional energy resources. Furthermore, rural areas in the developing countries of South and East Sub-Saharan Africa are characterised by high population ratios, low levels of income, concentration of poverty, significant socio-economic disparities relative to urban area, and a high rate rural-urban migration. The availability of adequate and convenient energy is essential in addressing these priorities of rural development. The development of energy resources for rural areas is, therefore, closely linked to the economic, social and environmental concerns of mainstream rural development. Unlike growth-driven energy development for industrialisation and urbanisation, rural energy development must consider social and environmental development. More importantly, it must be people-oriented. The result of the study has indicated that the pace of energy transition from traditional to commercial energy in the rural areas of countries in the region has lagged behind that in urban areas, a similar situation to that existing between developing countries and developed countries. Significant rural-urban inequalities in commercial energy supply and consumption exist. Rural communities still continue to rely heavily on traditional energy, mainly biomass resources

A Risky Climate for Southern African Hydro

This in-depth study of the hydrological risks to hydropower dams on the Zambezi River gives an early warning about what Southern Africa could be facing as it contemplates plans for more large hydropower dams in a time of climate change.Currently, 13,000 megawatts of new large-dam hydro is proposed for the Zambezi and its tributaries. The report finds that existing and proposed hydropower dams are not being properly evaluated for the risks from natural hydrological variability (which is extremely high in the Zambezi), much less the risks posed by climate change.Overall, Africa's fourth-largest river will experience worse droughts and more extreme floods. Dams being proposed and built now will be negatively affected, yet energy planning in the basin is not taking serious steps to address these huge hydrological uncertainties. The result could be dams that are uneconomic, disruptive to the energy sector, and possibly even dangerous.The report recommends a series of steps to address the coming storm of hydrological changes, including changes to how dams are planned and operated