without external funding
Sustainable energies for rural areas in developing countries: socio economic and human development impacts ? case study in Northern Cameroon
Project Details
Project duration: 07/2004–07/2007
Abstract
There is a real need of energy in all spheres of the economic activities in the North of Cameroon. Cameroon has about 13 000 villages. In 2003 only 1 700 were electrified. The Northern part is the least covered region with 6% of cover in the far north, 4% in Adamaoua while we have 20% in the western part of the country. The main activities in this region are: breeding, agriculture, craft industry (pottery), the food processing, rural small enterprise, social activities related to education, health, cultural, daily life in the households, trade: the region is surrounded by Nigeria, Chad and Niger which are entrances towards West and North Africa. There are multiple inner problems in each sector which slow down the development process of activities. In the whole area, the most crucial problems are particularly: - deforestation ? consumption of firewood - weak rainfall ? water quality - food security ? necessity of food conservation methods - education, information, health ? energy contribution constitutes a condition of improvement of the sector In developing countries there exist some encouraging experiments with renewable energies in several sectors. We have examples in Latin American countries (Mexico, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Haiti, Cuba), in Asia (India and China) and in Africa (particularly English speaking zones and Maghreb, in French speaking Africa in Madagascar and in Senegal, Mali, Niger, Burkina-Faso, Benin, Mauritania). On the national level in Cameroon the electricity sector is facing important changes (Privatization, rural electrification agency etc.). On the local level the exploration of other sources of energy could help satisfy many social and economic needs. Objectives of the research: - To evaluate the regional natural potentials for the different types of alternative energies and their costs and then on the background look for the interests of the communities and their information, communication and planning processes. - To carry out studies in chosen rural areas to identify the types of activities needing an energy use and consider energy needs according to the activities (diagnostic); in particular for small and medium rural enterprises and daily activities of the households. - To identify sustainable energy technologies which promotion could help to reduce the painfulness of women and children (mostly girls) work, by sources of the energy facilitating the agro alimentary transformation. - To stimulate the development of new incomes generating activities in isolated rural areas. For example: 1. market-gardening products using solar water pumping of another energy adapted and advantageous alternative in term of cost/benefit 2. The drying of fruits and vegetables allowing improvement of population?s alimentation. These activities enable to generate complementary incomes for the families concerned. - To facilitate the installation of a local training programme for the diffusion of identified appropriate energies. - To promote innovating and sustainable energy technologies adapted to the local conditions with regards to: the safeguarding of the environment, the reduction of wood consumption, the development of other actions which encourage the use of clean energies (information, sensitizing, training, exchange?), and the planetary reduction of greenhouse gases.
Putting peoples and communities first and their own concepts in sustainable development concerns, the question of our research is to know: 1. Up to what point, would a complementary renewable energy contribution allow the sustainable development of socio-cultural, economy, small and medium rural enterprises and activities of production in rural areas in developing countries in general and particularly in the northern Cameroon? 2. Through interdisciplinary work, how could this contribution help the improvement of the quality of life for a better human development and guarantee populations independence?
