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Africa’s Energy Availability-Deficiency Paradox: Lessons from Small-scale Biogas Technology and Policy Implications

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Abstract

The energy crisis associated with energy poverty in Africa continues to keep millions of men, women and children in absolute poverty due to inadequate access to clean energy. Despite its widely recognised importance for sustainable development, theoretical and policy discourses have largely remained dormant with respect to the role that the paradox of energy deficiency plays in the underdevelopment of Africa. This study illustrates how the exploitation of energy potential can be tailored to exert a positive impact on household livelihoods and sustainable development in Africa. Specifically, this study was aimed at determining the impact of biogas technology on the livelihood of beneficiaries and estimating the environmental benefits of biogas technology in terms of global warming potential in order to provide policy recommendations. The results show that the beneficiaries’ livelihood assets, including the human, physical, financial and social capital, were positively impacted by the use of biogas technology. The dominant impact of biogas technology was financial, as the beneficiaries witnessed a significant increase in their household incomes. This was possible through the reduction of the expenditure on fuelwood and the sale of digestate. The environmental benefits of disseminating biogas technology as a cleaner energy source were significant, providing evidence that mobilising the biogas potential in Africa would lead to significant decarbonisation of household energy supply. This shows that integrating the livelihood enhancement components in energy interventions amid the enormous unexploited energy potential would contribute to the sustainable transformation of the African continent. In resonance with Agenda 2030, we conclude by contributing to repositioning energy availability, affordability, and reliability as critical components of an energy revolution for sustainable development in Africa.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author,

Notes

  1. This statement is more indicative than conclusive, considering that the non-cash economy and the household income before the project intervention were not captured during the research. It however plausible, as subsistence farmers often produce for consumption and only sell surpluses at the marketplace. It is based on this assumption that we contend that adopting biogas technology can potentially break the vicious cycle of poverty for some beneficiary households.

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Acknowledgements

This work was commissioned and facilitated by Heifer Project International-Cameroon. We are therefore grateful for the opportunity to use some of the results to discuss a key issue hindering development in Africa, namely energy deficiency. Also appreciated are the enumerators who participated in the questionnaire development and data collection processes. The work of Chama Theodore Ketuama and Hynek Roubík was supported by the Internal Grant Agency of FTA (IGA 20233111).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Technology, University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon

    Roland Azibo Balgah & Martin Ngwa Ngwabie

  2. Departmentof Sustainable Technologies, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcka 129, 16500, Prague-Suchdol, Czech Republic

    Chama Theodore Ketuama & Hynek Roubík

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  1. Roland Azibo Balgah
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  2. Chama Theodore Ketuama
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Contributions

RAB and CTK conceived the idea for the paper, analysed the data and identified relevant literature for the paper. RAB coordinated the field data collection. All the authors reviewed and contributed to the elaboration of the manuscript. Revisions were done by NMN, CTK, RAB and HR. Supervision was done by HR.

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Correspondence to Hynek Roubík.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest. The founding sponsors had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analysis, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, and in the decision to publish the results.

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Balgah, R.A., Ketuama, C.T., Ngwabie, M.N. et al. Africa’s Energy Availability-Deficiency Paradox: Lessons from Small-scale Biogas Technology and Policy Implications. Environ Dev Sustain (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-023-03810-z

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