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DAMNED IF YOU DAM: TANZANIA’S ENERGY DILEMMAS
The paper examines Tanzania's electrification challenges, noting that only 32.8% of the population had electricity access in 2016. It critiques the proposed $3.6 billion Stiegler's Gorge hydroelectric dam, arguing that its benefits are outweighed by risks to the Selous World Heritage Site and downstream livelihoods in the Lower Rufiji. The author suggests that Tanzania should leapfrog traditional centralized infrastructure in favor of a combination of large-scale and micro-scale solar and wind power to achieve inclusive development without causing significant biodiversity loss.
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Document type: Research paper
Narratives, data and assumptions used to model development scenarios and climate sub-scenarios for Rwanda
The document outlines three development pathways for Rwanda—reference, pessimistic, and optimistic—to explore the synergies and trade-offs between agricultural transformation and energy transition. It provides the specific quantitative inputs and qualitative assumptions used in the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) and Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) models, including GDP growth, population trends, land-use changes, and cookstove penetration rates.
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Document type: Report
Where is the added value?
The review finds that while the WEF nexus concept is widely used to expand the scope of analysis, it lacks a uniting methodology and has not yet demonstrated a clear ability to improve resource management or governance outcomes.
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Document type: Research paper
Powering Africa: Unlocking Opportunities for Energy Development
Southern Africa faces an energy crisis characterized by a lack of electricity access and a coal-dominated energy mix. The document argues that overcoming this requires a combination of regional cooperation to manage hydropower resources and the deployment of decentralised solutions like mini-grids for rural areas, while addressing systemic barriers such as poor project preparation and inadequate regulatory frameworks.
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Document type: Research paper
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES INDONESIA
The report highlights a pipeline of 38 green infrastructure projects in Indonesia for 2018-2019, ranging from a USD15m solar project to a USD6bn high-speed rail development. It emphasizes the role of green finance, specifically green bonds and the world's first sovereign green sukuk, in bridging a USD150bn infrastructure investment gap. Key sectors identified include low-carbon transport (rail and BRT), renewable energy (geothermal and hydropower), sustainable water and waste management, and the built environment (certified green buildings).
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Document type: Report
Powering Africa
The SADC region faces a significant electricity supply-demand gap, with 68% of residents lacking access and a heavy reliance on coal, primarily driven by South Africa. The report argues for a dual approach: strengthening the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) through better regional regulation and transboundary projects, and scaling up renewable energy mini-grids in rural areas. It highlights that while the region has vast solar, wind, and hydro potential, investment is hindered by poor policy frameworks and the financial insolvency of national utilities.
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Document type: Report
Rethinking Southern Africa’s energy crisis
The document analyzes the energy crisis in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) regions, highlighting a significant gap between electricity generation and demand. It identifies key obstacles, including inadequate infrastructure investment, the insolvency of national utilities due to low tariffs, and the disproportionate influence of South Africa's coal-dominated energy system. The authors argue that while energy crises often push states toward inward-looking policies, regional cooperation, harmonized regulation, and transboundary projects offer the most viable path to energy security and economic development.
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Document type: Briefing
Towards Sustainable Energy in Nigeria and West Africa
The report examines the energy transition in Nigeria and West Africa, highlighting the region's vast renewable potential against the backdrop of dilapidated grid infrastructure and low electricity access. It identifies a trend of fragmented, small-scale green projects—such as solar initiatives in Nigerian universities and private sector power generation—and argues that these must be integrated into holistic national and regional plans. The document warns that the risk of 'stranded' hydrocarbon assets creates a limited window for countries to use fossil fuel revenues to fund renewable investments. It concludes that achieving sustainable energy goals requires better alignment between research and policy, increased investment in granular data analysis, and improved regional coordination through bodies like ECOWAS.
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Document type: Report
Protecting livelihoods and assets at risk from climate change induced flooding in glacial river basins of Nepal
The document outlines a $63 million project in Nepal designed to mitigate the risks of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and other climate-induced hazards. It proposes strengthening the institutional capacity of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) and other agencies to provide risk information and early warning services. Key interventions include the lowering of four high-risk glacial lakes, the construction of check dams, and the implementation of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) through community forestry. The project aims to benefit 327,500 people, particularly indigenous communities, by integrating centralized and community-based early warning systems and developing sustainable financing mechanisms for monitoring networks.
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Document type: Report
Missing the 23 Per Cent Target: Roadblocks to the development of renewable energy in Indonesia
The report identifies a 'political equilibrium' in Indonesia where the priorities of maintaining low electricity tariffs and low government subsidies outweigh the commitment to renewable energy targets. Key roadblocks include power purchase price caps (BPP) that make projects unviable, policy instability, and the dominant influence of the state-owned utility PLN and the coal industry. Experts interviewed for the study unanimously believe the 2025 target will be missed unless significant policy shifts occur.
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Document type: Report
Promoting green urban industrialisation in Ethiopia
The document advocates for 'green urban industrialisation' in Ethiopia, specifically through a corridor approach that connects urban clusters. Using the Kombolcha–Mek’ele corridor as a case study, it suggests that integrating transport, infrastructure, and resource management across administrative boundaries can prevent carbon-intensive development and maximise economic productivity. Key recommendations include identifying catalytic projects in green housing, waste, and water management, improving institutional coordination between federal and regional levels, and aligning local urban plans with national climate strategies.
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Document type: Policy brief
Aligning energy development and climate objectives in Nationally Determined Contributions
The paper finds that while some countries like Ethiopia and Peru align their NDCs with national strategies, others like Bangladesh and Ghana exhibit a disconnect between climate commitments and energy planning. It argues that integrating climate objectives into national development strategies and leveraging co-benefits such as job creation and health improvements can drive higher ambition in revised NDCs.
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Document type: Research paper
Blended Finance in Clean Energy: Experiences and Opportunities
The report identifies Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and East Asia as high-impact regions for clean energy investment, with a subset of eight countries offering over USD 360bn in potential by 2030. It argues that while clean energy costs are falling, private investment is hindered by off-taker, currency, and policy risks. The authors recommend shifting blended finance from covering viability gaps to providing risk-mitigation instruments like guarantees and local currency hedging, and creating liquid, tradable assets through securitization to attract institutional investors.
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Document type: Research paper
Blended Finance in Clean Energy: Experiences and Opportunities Annexes
The document outlines a methodology for identifying high-impact clean energy markets in developing economies based on private sector attractiveness, energy access, and climate relevance. It identifies Tier 1 countries—including India, South Africa, Kenya, and Rwanda—and analyzes their specific investment barriers, such as off-taker risk in India and currency volatility in South Africa. Additionally, it provides case studies on blended finance structures, ranging from project-level interventions like the Lake Turkana Wind Farm to fund-of-funds like GEEREF, illustrating how concessional capital and guarantees are used to leverage private investment.
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Document type: Report
GREENPEACE AFRICA SUBMISSION ON THE DRAFT INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLAN (IRP) 2018 UPDATE
Greenpeace Africa argues that the draft IRP 2018 Update is inadequate for achieving a just transition to renewable energy and fails to meet South Africa's international climate commitments. The submission calls for the total removal of new coal and nuclear capacity, the elimination of artificial caps on wind and solar energy, and an accelerated decommissioning of coal-fired power stations. It highlights severe air pollution in Mpumalanga and the critical need to prioritize water security in energy planning. The document emphasizes that the plan must be based on the latest IPCC science to limit global warming to 1.5°C and should incorporate transparent data on costs and demand-side management.
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Document type: Statement
Solving Nigeria’s electricity crisis through alternative energy sources
Nigeria faces a severe energy crisis with 60-70% of its population lacking regular electricity access and an average output of 5,000 MW against an installed capacity of 12,522 MW. The report identifies critical bottlenecks including a non-cost-reflective tariff regime, a N1 trillion revenue shortfall as of December 2016, and significant gas flaring despite the country ranking 9th globally in natural gas reserves. While hydropower provided approximately 32% of supply in 2015, other renewables like solar and wind remain underdeveloped. The author recommends the total deregulation of the gas sector, universal metering to close a gap of 4.09 million customers, and the implementation of the renewable energy masterplan to achieve a 10% renewable energy contribution by 2025.
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Document type: Report
Haiti: A Political Economy Analysis
The report argues that Haiti is characterized by a 'phantom state' where a small economic elite maintains power through symbiotic relationships with security forces and external actors, particularly from the United States. This structure has led to extreme inequality, the marginalization of the poor, and a chronic lack of public services in health, education, and energy. The analysis highlights a dramatic decline in voter turnout in recent elections, suggesting a crisis of political legitimacy for presidents Michel Martelly and Jovenel Moïse. It further details the environmental degradation caused by a heavy reliance on biomass energy, the vulnerability of the agricultural sector to climate shocks and trade liberalization, and the prevalence of organized crime, including child trafficking through private orphanages. The report also examines the role of international actors, noting that aid often bypasses the Haitian state, further weakening its capacity.
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Document type: Report
Managing natural resources in Rwanda’s districts under competing development pressures
The document examines the tension between Rwanda's national development goals—such as becoming a middle-income country by 2020—and the resulting pressure on natural resources at the district level. Focusing on Rutsiro, Bugesera, and Kirehe, it identifies widespread scarcity of woody biomass and clean water, driven by urban demand for charcoal and traditional farming practices. It argues that while national strategies like the Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy exist, there is a gap in translating these into local action, necessitating tailored district-level solutions and national policy incentives to shift urban energy demand away from charcoal.
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Document type: Policy brief
Small-scale renewable energy technologies in East Africa
The report examines the deployment of small-scale renewable energy (solar PV, wind, biogas, hydro) in East Africa, highlighting Kenya as the regional leader in market maturity and local content regulation. While off-grid solutions like solar home systems and mini-grids are expanding, the report identifies significant barriers to localisation, including a lack of local manufacturing, inadequate access to seed capital for SMEs, and fragmented institutional coordination. It recommends a regional approach to policy alignment, the development of e-learning platforms for vocational training, and the use of impact investment to build sustainable local value chains.
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Document type: Report
INSIGHTS RECENT HYDROPOWER PLANTS IN BRAZIL LEAD TO VARYING LOCAL ECONOMIC EFFECTS
The study finds that while hydropower plant construction typically provides a short-term boost to formal employment and municipal revenue, these effects generally dissipate within five to six years and rarely lead to structural economic transformation. However, significant variation exists between municipalities, with some experiencing sustained growth and others seeing declines, suggesting that the economic benefits of dam construction are not uniform and require case-by-case analysis.
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Document type: Policy brief