UNEP DTIE Energy Branch: Activities

SEAF Experiences and Results in Africa and the Caribbean

SEAF interventions have been implemented in seven countries, namely: Botswana, Ghana, Jamaica, Mali, Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda. Each intervention responded to specific needs of each participation stakeholder:

Botswana
Management Support to the National Photovoltaic (PV) Programme
Ghana
Integration of Solar PV Technology into Rural Electrification
Jamaica
Supporting Energy Policy Making under Sustainable Development
Mali
Revamping Jatropha-Oil Multifunctional Platforms
Namibia
Implementation Guidelines for Off-grid Electrification Policies
Tanzania
Biofuel as Alternative Resource for Women's Income
Uganda
Facilitating Development of a Sustainable Biomass Energy Strategy

The selection of SEAF interventions was driven by the following criteria:

Synergistic effects
Since SEAF activities were aimed to be catalytic and supporting planning or ongoing initiatives, priority was given to those interventions that facilitate linkages and promote synergistic effects.
Enabling environment
Institutional capacity to support the intervention and to sustain its effects over time as well as the effectiveness of interagency co-ordination, institutional stability and human Resources.
Thematic spread
In order to test the concept in different contexts, the SEAF pilot phase has aimed at covering relatively large thematic areas.
Collaborative experience or contacts with UNEP/UCC
To develop interventions rapidly, avoiding the need of establishing new institutional links and procedures, ongoing interventions have largely been identified by UNEP and UCC staff through personal knowledge of opportunities, existing contacts with a number of national institutions, and a modest outreach effort.

SEAF Interventions responded to specific needs:

Uncovering technical, managerial and organisational barriers that hinder the continuity of a programme (very low performance of multifunctional platforms in Mali);
Identification and analysis of unintended consequences and negative effects of ongoing programmes (rural electrification plans are eroding potential markets for solar PV in Ghana; off-grid electrification policies are affected by rural electrification plans in Namibia);
Ensuring clarity and complementarity of sustainable development objectives and national energy policy (sustainable development goals are missing in energy policy formulation and decision-making in Jamaica);
Clarifying the roles and responsibilities of different institutions and government agencies (lack of co-ordination between the Departments of Forestry and Energy concerning fuel-wood policies in Uganda);
Plugging unforeseen gaps unanticipated in a project formulation (test sample and market study need to be expanded in the project on Biofuel as Alternative Resource for Women's Income in Tanzania).

Key conclusions emerging from the SEAF experience include the following:

Flexible and rapid assistance at the right time can yield widespread benefits to further sustainable energy development;

A variety of technical, institutional and management -related opportunities exist to move energy systems toward more sustainable development paths. Tapping these opportunities in some case requires small-scale and well targeted interventions;

Sustainable energy development is a broad concept that encompasses multidimensional and close linked issues. Creating synergies among different dimensions lead to more coordinated and harmonised strategies to the implementation of project and policies.

Links with donnor supported activities have proven interesting e.g., DANIDA in Ghana, GTZ in Uganda and Jamaica, and GEF in Tanzania, but these opportunities can be better explored in a larger and longer term activities.