WWF ESARPO has set
for the region an ambitious Vision 2050 of ‘a
future powered by 100% renewable energy to meet all human development needs in
East and Southern Africa through means that ensure humans live in harmony with
nature’. WWF Offices within the East and Southern Africa Regional Programme
Office believe that in order to live in harmony with nature, the six nations
within this region must ensure access to clean, affordable and modern energy
service for all. Without this ‘vision’, countries will not create lasting benefits.
The ESARPO Regional Energy Coordinator – Robert Ddamulira is confident that
countries in the region can achieve such a future.
The launching of the ESARPO
Energy strategy in 2013 comes in amid the current global concern and as
reported in the ‘Living Planet Report of 2012 – the road to Rio+20. The demand
for food, water and energy on which our lives depends, has significantly increased,
and the projection from 1966 estimates that we are using about 1.5 planets to
support our activities.
The WWF Regional Energy Strategy
has six strategic objects relating to: 1) Policy, legal and institutional
frameworks, 2) Access to energy, 3) Sustainable energy development, 4) Renewable
energy solutions, 5) Financial mechanisms, and 6) Low carbon development.
Tanzania as a country within the
ESARPO region, has started to some extent with initial engagement and
implementation of strategic objective one and five. The biofuel project which
is jointly implemented between TCO and HAKIARDHI (a land rights civil society)
has resulted into a national policy dialogue towards development of a
sustainable biofuels policy.
Piloting of the sustainable
charcoal production and teaming up with CAMCO as energy experts and TanCarbon
for carbon financing demonstrates innovative approaches for viable financing of
renewable energy investments for both
demand and supply sides. Partners like CAMCO and TaTEDO are promoting solar
installations (as shown in photo 1) for the rural poor and urban dwellers who
can now access renewable energy technologies that in turn support WWF’s vision
on 100% renewable energy in the region. Solar technologies are picking up in
the villages and can be purchased for as low as between USD $ 20
There are opportunities for further
engagement between WWF TCO and national civil society organizations and other non-state
actors in the renewable energy sector through relevant networks, alliances and
forums. Furthermore by taking advantage of public-private-partnership
approaches backed up by the government through the Ministry of Natural
Resources and Tourism (MNRT) and Ministry of Energy and Minerals (MEM), WWF TCO
sees opportunities for contributing towards the 100% renewable energy in the
region come 2050
