Hydroelectricity

• Some countries, however, have a much heavier reliance on it than others.
• For instance, hydropower accounts for at least 80% of electricity generation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda and Zambia.
• However, there are political and environmental concerns that planners must consider if they want to expand hydropower.
• Worryingly, energy planning and management is not keeping pace with such changes in most African countries.

Climate change threat to hydropower

• I carried out an extensive review of existing studies on the projected impacts of climate change on hydropower in different areas of sub-Saharan Africa.
• Countries in east Africa could benefit from a wetter climate in terms of hydropower output.
• On the other hand, there are serious concerns that countries in southern Africa and western Africa will face a drier climate.
• Different climate models and scenarios offer a mixed picture of how the future might unfold, particularly over central and southwestern Africa.
• Still, there is consensus that extreme hydrological events will increase throughout the continent with climate change.

Planning and management of power supply

• Several planning and management actions are needed to prepare for the effects of climate change on hydropower.
• This will ensure that citizens in sub-Saharan Africa benefit from a more reliable power supply.
• A new study demonstrated that African countries should increase investments in other renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power.
• Different actions can increase the resilience of hydropower infrastructure and ensure a reliable and sustainable power supply.