Although some least developed countries (LDCs) have done better in scaling up access to modern energy, in the country electricity remains a luxury to many, the United Nations has said.

A report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) released this week said this is because electricity is available only to less than 15 percent of the population.

An engineer fixes a faulty electricity line

The report on low-carbon transition and its daunting implications for structural transformation, said the challenges facing LDCs such as Malawi in terms of building climate resilience, are equally visible in relation to access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy.

Reads part of the report: “The energy sector epitomises the complex and multi-layered trade-offs and synergies between sustainable development and climate change adaptation, given the bidirectional relationship between climate change and energy demand.

“Despite progress achieved by LDCs in this regard, the fact of the matter is that energy-related challenges remain daunting. Moreover, physical and transition risks compound the already ambitious targets set in Sustainable Development Goal [SDG] 7.”

Unctad further observed that although the share of the LDC population with access to electricity increased from 20 to 54 per cent between 2000 and 2020, electricity was still beyond reach for 46 per cent of the population.

That is, 466 million people, over 80 per cent of whom reside in rural areas.

Currently, Malawi’s sustainable economic growth and industrial development depends on the availability of energy from sources that are affordable, accessible, reliable, and sustainable.

Yet the country is grappling with shortage in power generation and supply that has led to frequent power outages and a backlog of customers who are yet to be connected.

Hydro remains the main source of energy for Malawi with solar, wind and thermal (coal, geothermal and biomass) as alternative sources.

According to the June 2022 Voluntary National Review (VNR), coordinated by the National Planning Commission, the proportion of the population in Malawi that will use clean fuels and technologies in 2019 was estimated at just 12.4 percent.

This means that a larger population of Malawi uses non-clean fuel, while the use of alternative sources of energy has remained low over the past two decades.

Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Sosten Gwengwe observes in an accompanying statement to the report that the 2022 VNR reflects on key actions needed to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs.

He said: “Malawi has, therefore, enhanced raising awareness, advocacy and integration of SDGs in the development planning at all levels.”

As of 2021, forty-six countries, including Malawi, are designated by the United Nations as LCDs.

The post Electricity remains a luxury in Malawi—report first appeared on The Nation Online.

The post Electricity remains a luxury in Malawi—report appeared first on The Nation Online.