Hydropower 's capacity to supply Africa's entire power needs'

According to a UN report launched last month at the World Water Forum in Marseilles, hydropower could supply all of Africa's electricity needs once cross-border cooperation is stepped up. Currently, Africa generates just one third of its electricity from hydropower, but could learn from cooperation and training programmes with India and some Western countries and several governments have taken the cue. Strong examples have begun to emerge, including the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) and the West African Power Pool. These bring together groups of national electricity companies under the authority of the Southern African Development Community and the Economic Community of West African States respectively. Nonetheless, large projects are underway, including a collaboration between India's Tata Power company and the South African mining group Exxaro for renewable energy projects — including hydropower — in Botswana and South Africa.