Optimising interactions between water and energy for the MDGs: small scale cases in Southern Africa

Jean BorotoSource Strategic Focus (Pty) LtdPretoria, South Africa

Question

How can innovative technologies help balance the rising costs and scarcity of water and energy and thereby help achieving the MDGs?

Pumping water from the Limpopo river bed when surface flow has stopped

SADC IWRM demo projects:improve livelihoods!

Malawi: Dzimphutsi Project, Chikwawa District in the Shire River Valley, 10.5 ha and close to 100 households.

Mozambique: Ndongo, Guija District, Gaza Province, 250 ha, some 700 households.

Namibia: Omaruru Gardening Women Project, 10ha irrigation project involving 12 women.

This presentation focuses on the energy component of these projects

Omaruru Project, Namibia

Summary of energy sources

Project Source of Energy

Comment

Dzimphutsi Gravity Cheaper source!

Ndongo Electricity Community did not want diesel pumps

Omaruru Solar energy(moved from diesel pump)

Energy is the constraint for water

A few concluding thoughts

Interdependence between water and energy needs to be objectively acted on!

Conjunctive sources of energy could reduce vulnerability but sustainable sources need to be given priority, considering cost and environment (clean energy)!

Livehoods can only be improved through better water management if the energy source is guaranteed: for food production, for conservation, processing and packaging.

Infrastructure imperatives for sustainable development include: water, energy, transport and ICT and some are interdependent!

Acknowledgments

SADC Water Regional Programme funded by Danida

The three community projects: Ndzimputsi, Malawi Ndongo, Mozambique Omaruru, Namibia

Intended to serve as a case study/story for the WWC Africa Programme