Togo

Clean energy and safe water for Togo.

Resource Centre for Sustainable Energy Solutions.

Partners:

Jeunes Volontaires pour l’Environnement (JVE)
+228 92 16740

JVE started as a small environmental club for committed youth in the rural village of Tsiko (150 kms from Lomé, the capital city) in Togo. Being frustrated by lack of information and action, they started searching and working with environmental issue to help youth in Togo play their part in building a better future. Its founding principle established in line with Agenda 21 and a belief that education is vital for populations' ability to solve their problems and create a sustainable planet. The mission of JVE is “to involve the youth (and marginalised groups) in the sustainable development process and promote social justice for all”

Background:
In Togo, where most of the population is considered to be extremely poor more than 80% of the energy need is derived from biomass, causing a heavy impact on the forests. Besides exacerbating global warming and its impacts, deforestation and its ensuing desertification pose a serious threat to biodiversity and is a major cause in the degradation of hydrological basins and the destruction of water reserves.

Between 2000 and 2005 Togo had one of the world’s highest deforestation rates, and since 1990, 43.6 percent of its forests have been lost. As more than 2/3 of houses do not have access to electricity, the only option for a dim light at night both for cooking, night business, security and reading is nothing but kerosene lamps. A household in Vo region is estimated to use an average of 5 litres of petroleum per lantern per month. A single lantern emits nearly 8 tons per year of carbon dioxide, thus contributing significantly to environmental damage.

Solutions to address these vital issues do exist and are known to an extent by some privileged stakeholders, but the capacity to act effectively and the political support are blatantly lacking.  Consequently, many success stories are neither known nor disseminated.  The sunlight in Togo is estimated at 6-7 KWh/m2/day and provides great opportunity for the development of solar application, be it photovoltaic or thermal. The coast enjoys a promising wind speed while other renewable alternatives can be used to provide reliable sources of energy and income. On the other hand, more than 75% of the population does not have access to potable water. Lack of knowledge on simple and cost-free solar water pasteurization techniques keep most of rural communities in the grip of water and energy poverty for many years to come.

Drawing from three years experience, Norges Naturvernforbund and JVE are determinedly convinced that setting up a centre for the development and promotion of people-oriented solutions to the energy problem will aid significantly in shifting hundreds of communities from the energy poverty paradigm to that of energy opportunities and improved living conditions while addressing the taboo issue of gender-based poverty in the country.