Renewable Energies in Africa

This is a summary of current knowledge at the Joint Research Centre concerning renewable energy in Africa. The report assesses current energy consumption and the share of renewables in African states, and attempts to estimate the technical potential of available resources of solar, wind, biomass and hydropower which could be economically used to provide energy for the increasing population. Full article available here.

WASHCost Working Paper : Assessing Sanitation Service Levels

The first section of this paper outlines the scope and purpose of this Working Paper. Section two reviews sanitation levels in current use and proposes indicators of a sustainable sanitation service as a basis for the WASHCost sanitation levels. Section three presents sanitation service level norms and criteria in WASHCost countries. Section four sets out the proposed WASHCost sanitation service levels. Section five summarises the steps towards the general sanitation levels and outlines the the next steps for testing and refining country based sanitation ladders. Section six discusses the importance of hygiene services and makes suggestions for the development of a hygiene service assessment ladder. Full report available on http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900sid/ASAZ-89WGD6/$file/IRCWatSan_Sep2010.pdf?openelement

Biodiversity and Wildlife

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), had a high level meeting on 22 September 2010, as a contribution to the International Year of Biodiversity. Furthermore, thematic panels were held on the way forward in achieving the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the internationally agreed biodiversity goals and targets. Participants highlighted, among others: the need for political momentum and flexibility in the discussions on a draft protocol on access and benefit-sharing (ABS); the opportunity to adopt an ambitious post-2010 strategic plan; and the importance of creating an intergovernmental science-policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services.It was again noted that conserving the planet’s species and habitats was central to sustainable development and the Millennium Development Goals.View the full document at: (http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2010/ga10992.doc.htm; http://www.un.org/en/ga/65/meetings/biodiversity.shtml).

Mapping Food and Bioenergy in Africa

This report focuses on assessing Africa’s ability to fulfill the following objectives namely, to generate regional evidence on the frequency of the conversion of cash food crops to biofuels, to determine perceived issues and concerns of this conversion by sector (regional, national, household), to establish early indication of the impact (trends, patterns) to anticipate future scenarios and to undertake policy and institutional mapping as well as analysis to better understand the policy and institutional dimensions of the food and bioenergy interphase. The report is available on the FARA website.

Biofuels networking site

CABI has introduced a new networking site for researchers who are looking at biofuels. The purpose of the site is to expose the latest research on biofuel crops and related issues, to allow researchers to get in touch with experts by region and country, and to allow researchers to discuss the latest biofuel issues with contemporaries. The CABI Biofuels Information Exchange is available online.

COMPETE Project activities

HOORC Professor Donald Kgathi recently returned from meetings in Mexico, where participants in the COMPETE project exchanged information about energy crops and discussed practices of potential application in Africa. Participants also made field visits to see energy crop and agro-forestry projects. In HOORC's Library you can find Bioenergy from sustainable forestry : guiding principles and practice and Economics of sustainable energy in agriculture, as well as Professor Kgathi's 2007 conference paper, Development of jatropha biofuel in Southern Africa.

New in HOORC's Library: Vegetable oils of tropical Africa

Vegetable oils of tropical Africa : conclusions and recommendations based on PROTA 14 : vegetable oils, produced by the Plant Resources of Tropical Africa (PROTA) Programme, is a summary of knowledge consolidated through the PROTA programme's review of nearly 250 African plant species known to yield vegetable oil. Aimed at rural development agencies, vocational training centres, entrepreneurs, researchers, students and policy makers, the report provides tables that describe the most promising plants and extraction technologies, development and research gaps (including possible thesis topics), conservation needs and related policy issues. You can find the report, and more PROTA publications, in HOORC's Library.

African agriculture meeting

The High-Level Meeting on African Agriculture in the 21st Century - Meeting the Challenges, Making a Sustainable Green Revolution, convened from 9-10 February in Windhoek, Namibia, adopted a declaration in which participants called for support to help African farmers adapt to climate change. The ministerial meeting was an intersession meeting in preparation for the 17th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD 17), to be held in May 2009. The declaration called for help for small-scale farmers to better manage such risks as price, weather, climate and natural disasters to promote development of agricultural insurance markets and further enhance cooperation in areas such as biofuels, drylands agriculture and combating desertification. You can read more on the web site of the UN Division for Sustainable Development.

Government notices of interest to the Okavango community

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLVI, no. 76, 21 November 2008

Republic of Botswana: Tender: Consultancy services for development of the oil industry margin model
5925
Republic of Botswana Dept. of Meteorological Services: Tender: Supply, installation and commissioning of five automatic weather stations
5961
Republic of Botswana Dept. of Forestry and Range Resources: Tender: supply and installation of fire towers
5962
Republic of Botswana: Tender: Supply of fire warning sign boards for Department of Forestry and Range Resources
5962
North West District Council: Tender: Kaure Ostrich Farm development
5976
North West District Council: Tender: Construction of ARV satellite clinic in Shakawe
5976

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLVI, no. 77, 28 November 2008

Statutory Instrument No. 99 of 2008: of Diseases of Animals Act: Declaration of foot and mouth disease (infected area) order, 2008
C.660

Tender announcements and documents may also be found on the Government of Botswana web site. The entire issue of the Government Gazette may be read in HOORC’s Library.

10th Ramsar Conference of Parties meeting

The IISD's online Earth Negotiations Bulletin has reported the proceedings of the 10th Ramsar Convention Conference of Parties, held in Changwon, Korea on the 28th of October to 4th of November 2008. Resolutions concerning the relationship of wetlands to climate change and biofuels were adopted on the last day of the conference. You can find the text of all resolutions discussed at the conference, including The Changwon Declaration on Human Well-being and Wetlands, on the Ramsar Secretariat's web site.

State of food and agriculture: biofuels

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has released its 2008 report about the global state of food and agriculture, Biofuels: prospects, risks and opportunities. The report includes a technical overview, an explanation of economic and policy drivers of liquid biofuels, a review of environmental impacts of biofuel production and a discussion of impacts on poverty and food security. You can view a summary and the full report online.

African biofuels declaration

Participants at the COMPETE International Conference and Policy Debate on Bioenergy Sustainability Schemes - An African Perspective, held on 16-18 June 2008 in Arusha, Tanzania, developed a COMPETE Declaration on Sustainable Bioenergy for Africa. The draft declaration was developed in two round table discussions by decision-makers from Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, as well as the Union Economique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA), inlcuding the themes: Policy strategies to enhance the bioenergy potential in Africa and Sustainability tools and means to assure, monitor and reward sustainable bioenergy production in Africa. The COMPETE Project is now beginning a consultation process to review the draft and has invited comments and suggestions until 27 August 2008. The final version of the declaration will be presented at the up-coming COMPETE Workshop, Bioenergy Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa that will take place on 25-27 November 2008 in Bamako, Mali. You can find descriptions of the meetings and the draft declaration on the COMPETE web site. Comments may be sent to Rainer Janssen.

Government notices of interest to the Okavango community

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLV, no. 82, 21 December 2007

Tender: Republic of Botswana: Ministry of Works and Transport. Preparation of the environmental and social management framework (ESMF) and resettlement policy framework (RPF) for output and performance based long term road contracts (OPRC)
6754

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLV, no. 83, 28 December 2007

Mines and Minerals (Amendment) Act, 2007
A.141-A.143
Electricity Supply (Amendment) Act, 2007
A.145-A.151
Plant Protection Act, 2007
A.153-A.A.178
Tourism Act: Tourism (Reservation of Tourist Enterprises for Citizens) (Revocation) Regulations, 2007
A.1407
Agricultural Resources Conservation Act: Agricultural Resources Conservation (Utilization of Veld Products) (Amendment) Regulations, 2007
C.1408

Tender announcements and documents may also be found on the Government of Botswana web site. The entire issue of the Government Gazette may be read in HOORC’s Library.

Angola dam plans

The Inter Press Service offers a story about discussions surrounding possible construction of the Epupa Dam, on the Cunene (Kunene) River in Angola, upstream from Namibia.

Biofuels in Africa

The July 2007 issue of GRAIN's newsletter Seedling, a special issue about agrofuels in the developing world, contains accessible information about the growing biofuels business, including a linked bibliography of good background resources, Jatropha – the agrofuel of the poor?, and The new scramble for Africa, which points out that just 15 African countries have a combined arable land base larger than India available for agrofuel crop production. In the Okavango, the Namibia Agronomic Board is studying a jatropha project for the Kavango region.

GRAIN is an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) which promotes the sustainable management and use of agricultural biodiversity based on people's control over genetic resources and local knowledge.

Biofuels project

HOORC Associate Professor Dr Donald Kgathi attended the launch of the European Union supported project, Competence Platform on Energy Crop and Agroforestry Systems for Arid and Semi-arid Ecosystems - Africa (COMPETE) in Munich on March 1st and 2nd, 2007. Professor Kgathi talked about new developments in bioenergy in Southern Africa in the context of the larger interests of the group, made up of 20 European and 23 non-European partners - 11 partners from 7 African countries, 3 regional African policy and financing bodies (African Development Bank; Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network of Southern Africa; UEMOA - Biomass Energy Regional Program), 9 partners from Latin America and Asia - and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). The project will create a platform for discussion, knowledge exchange, policy and methodology development to provide guidance and tools for the provision of modern bioenergy for the sustainable and optimal usage of drylands ecosystems. The project web site provides details about the anticipated products of the project.

Botswana Government notices of interest to the Okavango community

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLV, no. 15 16 February 2007

Tender: Republic of Botswana Dept. of Water Affairs: Consultancy service (second publication)
729

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLV, no. 16 23 February 2007

Tender: Republic of Botswana firebreak maintenance for the Dept. of Forestry and Range Resources
951
Tender: Republic of Botswana Dept. of Water Affairs: Water Tariff Study
952
Rural Electrification Project (Nordea Bank AB (publ) (Loan Ratification) Act, 2007
A.73

Tender announcements and documents may also be found on the Government of Botswana web site.
The entire issue of the Government Gazette may be read in HOORC’s Library.

Botswana government notices of interest to the Okavango community

Tender announcements and documents may also be found on the Government of Botswana web site. The entire issue of the Government Gazette may be read in HOORC’s Library.

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLV, no. 4 12 January 2007

Tender: Republic of Botswana Dept. of Water Affairs: supply of borehole and water works equipment
92
Tender: Republic of Botswana: extension of closing date of submission of tender for feasibility study for the production and use of biofuels in Botswana
122

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLV, no. 5 19 January 2007

Tender: Republic of Botswana: supply, installation and commissioning of laboratory equipment for national environmental laboratory
178
Tender: Republic of Botswana: extension of closing date of submission of tender for feasibility study for the production and use of biofuels in Botswana
223

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLV, no. 7 26 January 2007

Tender: Republic of Botswana Roads Dept.: expression of interest for the construction of Kazungula Bridge using build operate and transfer (BOT)
283
Tender: Republic of Botswana: extension of closing date of submission of tender for feasibility study for the production and use of biofuels in Botswana
299

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLV, no. 10 2 February 2007

Government notice no. 58 of 2007: Road Transport (Permits) Regulations: application for road transport permits – “P” permits: Moremi Safari. Mobile Safari; Crocodile Camp Safari, Mobile Safari (5); Okavango Wilderness Safaris, Mobile Safari (2); Commmodore Holdings, Mobile Safari
412-416
Government notice no. 61 of 2007:Water Regulations: application for water rights: Maun Lodge, river draw-off, 10 cublic metres a day for irrigation; Water Lily Lodge, Kasane, river draw-off, 10 cublic metres a day for irrigation
419-421
Tender: Republic of Botswana: provision of consultancy services for tabulation, data analysis, and preparation of report for 2006 Botswana demographic survey
484

Botswana Government notices of interest to the Okavango community

Tender announcements and documents may also be found on the Government of Botswana web site.
The entire issue of the Government Gazette may be read in HOORC’s Library.

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLIV, no. 86, 24 November 2006

Tender: Republic of Botswana: Requirement analysis and supervision for the development and implementation of Botswana road management system (BRMS) in Department of Roads
6025
Tender: Republic of Botswana: Feasibility study for the protection and use of biofuels in Botswana
6081
Tender: North West District Council: Construction of Maun sanitary landfill site: quotation for various equipment
6088, 6089, 6090, 6091, 6092

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLIV, no. 88, 1 December 2006

Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act: appointment of members of the Kasane District Tender Committee
6125
Tender: Republic of Botswana: Expression of interest: consultancy for undertaking an environmental impact assessment for prefeasibility on utilisation of the water resources of the Chobe/Zambezi River
6134
Tender: Republic of Botswana: Feasibility study for the production and use of biofuels in Botswana
6141
Tender: North West District Council: construction of Maun sanitary landfill site: quotation for various equipment
6148-6152
Tender: Republic of Botswana: construction of sewerage reticulation system at Itekeng CJSS at Ghanzi
6199
Statutory Instrument no. 89 of 2006: Agricultural Resources Conservation Act: Agricultural Resources Conservation (Utilization of Veld Products) Regulations
C.529

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLIV, no. 90, 8 December 2006

Tender: Republic of Botswana: Provision of information communications technology strategy for Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism (second publication)
6260
Tawana Land Board: prequalification notice: development, management and operation of the current Camp Okuti in Moremi Game Reserve
6325

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLIV, no. 92,15 December 2006

Tender: Republic of Botswana: GIS software upgrade and maintenance for Central Statistics Office
6377
Tawana Land Board: prequalification notice: development, management and operation of the current Camp Okuti in Moremi Game Reserve (second publication)
6389
Tender: North West District Council: supply and delivery of ELSTER/TELBIT B900 prepaid water meters and training of personnel
6442

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLIV, no. 95, 29 December 2006

Tender: Chobe District Council: re-gravelling of Satau-Parakarungu roads (12 km) (second publication)
6599
Tender: Chobe District Council: re-gravelling of Kachikau-Satau- road (22 km) (second publication)
6599
Tender: Kgaligadi District Council: supply and delivery of skips for solid waste material
6642

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLV, no. 1, 5 January 2007

Tender: Kgaligadi District Council: supply and delivery of skips for solid waste material (second publication)
28

Kavango biofuel crop EIA

Environmental impact assessment public hearings for plantations of the biofuel crop, Japtropha curcas , in the Kavango region of Namibia, began this week. The fruit of the plant contains oil that can be used in diesel engines to replace conventional fuel and for soap-making. The Namibia Agronomic Board recently commissioned a study for a project to plant 63 000 hectares of Jatropha on communal and commercial land over the next few years.

Registration as an interested or affected party can be obtained by contacting Mrs K. Dierkes at fax 061-241577, maproom@iway.na.