Energy | Environmental Sustainability

THE CHALLENGE:

Uganda is currently faced with an acute electricity supply shortage. However, notwithstanding this shortage, the country’s energy sector is characterized by over-dependence on biomass energy which makes up more than 90% of the country’s total energy consumption. Almost all the basic needs of cooking and water heating in rural and most urban households, institutions and commerce are derived from wood, with the annual consumption of wood in the country estimated to be about 25 million tons (or about 1.1 tons per capita), out of which about 4 million tons is consumed as charcoal. The contribution of firewood and charcoal to Uganda’s GDP is estimated to be UGSh 120 billion and 67 billion, respectively. In terms of employment, firewood and charcoal activities contribute about 97,000 person years (MWLE, 2002).

The Country Programme Action Plan agreed between UNDP and Government of Uganda puts emphasis in the following priority areas in the energy sector:

• integrating energy concerns into policies, strategies and planning processes at the local and national levels
• increasing access to modern, affordable and reliable energy services by the poor

THE RESPONSE:

UNDP is supporting Government to implement the following interventions:

(1) Support to communities in Masindi District to access modern energy services through:

• creating the policy and institutional conditions needed to increase access to energy services for the rural poor
• piloting delivery of energy for productive uses through the Multi-functional Platform model

The project addresses the concerns of the East African Community for increasing energy access to the rural communities as accented to by the energy ministers of the member states.

(2) Promote approaches to sustainable charcoal production (in the districts of Luwero & Nakasongola which supply the bulk of the charcoal supplies to Kampala)

This project, which is implemented by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, also seeks to increase awareness on problems related to unsustainable biomass energy harvesting, and improve to more efficient charcoal harvesting and production practices.

Justin Ecaat
Programme Specialist, Environment
justin.ecaat@undp.org