THE ROLE OF MULANJE ENERGY AGENCY IN SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF MULANJE MOUNTAIN ECOSYSTEM.
DISCUSSION PAPER PRESENTED AT WORKSHOP ENTITLED “THE ROLE OF ENERGY REGULATORS IN ACHIEVING THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS” WHICH TOOK PLACE AT IBIS HOTEL MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE FROM 24-26 NOVEMBER, 2008.
DISCUSSION PAPER PRESENTED
BY
JOHN MTHANDI (BSC, M.SC. ENG)
MMCT ENERGY PROJECTS COORDINATOR
1.0 Introduction
In order to advance decentralization policy and allow wider access and diffusion of energy understanding, knowledge, consumption of reliable and sustainable energy and improve energy delivery services to both rural and semi-urban population in Mulanje and Phalombe districts, an independent semi-commercialized district based Energy Agency is being implemented with support from MMCT and GTZ. The Agency shall be named as Mulanje Energy Agency (MEA). The Agency seeks to spearhead energy related services and resolve challenges underpinning consumption of modern energy in the district and help achieve targets of the Millennium Development Goals. It seeks to bridge the gap that exist between the central government and privates sectors regarding energy planning, information dissemination, product and technical service delivery, advancing and promoting modern energy technologies, capacity building of local communities and institutions, promoting linkages and collaboration and attracting more energy projects in the aforementioned districts. The energy agency shall also be responsible for forecasting future energy needs and keeping historical energy data, promoting energy efficient use through appliance and buildings, developing energy technologies and supporting renewable energy in the districts. The agency is viewed to operate at two districts level; however, based on the growth and demand from other areas, a deliberate strategy shall be designed to respond to the growing demand elsewhere within the vicinity of the these two districts.
1.1 Justification for energy initiatives
It is an undeniable fact that Energy plays a pivotal role if the world is to achieve Millennium Development Goals. Energy provide the following services: for pumping of irrigation and drinking water which is vital in realizing MDG number 1, electrification of schools and libraries for MGD 2, clean energy for cooking and other home steady activities for MDG 3, electrification of health centers and hospitals for MDG 4, 5 and 6, access to renewable energy for MDG 7, and improve efficiency and productivity of goods and transport for MDG 8. Thus, lack of access to sufficient and sustainable production and supplies of clean energy is one of the many underlying contributing factors for not achieving time-bounded goals. Africa nations in particular sub-Saharan nations have been very slow in responding to needs of improving energy services which has subsequently resulted into having the highest number of people with an income below the poverty line of 1 dollar per day. Malawi with population of 13.07 million faces huge challenge in achieving Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Malawians uses a variety of both commercial and non-commercial energy sources. However, 93% of the population representing 2.5 million households do not have access to modern energy services and still rely entirely on combustible biomass like animal dung, crop residues, wood, and charcoal as their fuel (IHS 2005). Impoverished communities in the semi-urban and city slums dedicate a high percentage of their income acquiring biomass fuel (either directly or in the form of high opportunity cost they pay in terms of collection and preparation, estimated at 25% of the total household labour) (Hainess and Kammen 2000). Furthermore, using solid fuels, such as biomass, has numerous direct and indirect impacts on population health, accounting for more than 8.1% of asthma and other respiratory diseases reported in Malawi in 2005 (IHS 2005).
1.1.1 Problem definition in Mulanje and Phalombe districts.
In order to ascertain the magnitude and severity of the problems that are threatening the existence of Mulanje mountain biodiversity, the problem identification analysis was conducted. The process of problem identification involved a Threat Reduction Analysis and the calculation of Threat Reduction Indices (Salafsky & Margoluis, 1999). The analysis started with identifying and listing of all the major threats of Mulanje Mountain. Each threat was then assessed in terms of the Area it affected (proportion of area affected), the Intensity (severity of destruction), and the Urgency (immediacy of the threat). Each threat was scored according to the greatest to the least for each category. This enabled a total ranking score to be devised for each threat, and the seriousness of each threat to be relatively identified as indicated in Table 1.
Table 1. Threat Reduction Assessment
Threats / Area / Intensity / Urgency / Total RankingFire / 7 / 7 / 6 / 20
Fuel wood collection / 6 / 7 / 5 / 18
Encroachment / 5 / 5 / 7 / 17
Mining / 4 / 6 / 3 / 13
Invasive Species / 3 / 3 / 4 / 10
Logging / 1 / 4 / 2 / 7
Hunting / 2 / 1 / 1 / 4
Total
/ 28 / 28 / 28 / 84Table 1 shows that fuel wood collection is the second largest threat to the Mt. Mulanje ecosystem with a total ranking score of 18. Fuel wood and charcoal are the dominant household energy sources in mountainous communities of Mulanje Mountain, accounting for over 98.3% of the primary energy consumption (IHS, 2005). The total energy consumption in Mulanje for the year 2006 was estimated to be 3.12 million Giga-Joules or 75,552 ton of oil equivalents. The share of modern fuels (electricity and paraffin) was 1,740 toe (2.3%), while total biomass consumed was 72,694 toe representing 97.5% of the total energy consumed (Taulo et al, 2008). Firewood is recorded the highly extracted resource from the Mulanje Mountain Forest reserve (Hetcht, 2006). Such high dependence on biomass means more forest resource removed.
2.0 Objectives and tasks of the agency
2.1 Main Objective
The main objective of the Agency is to provide energy related services to the people of Mulanje and Phalombe districts to reduce the pressure on the natural resources such as woods.
2.1.1 Specific objectives
Specifically the Energy Agency will aim at:
a) Providing awareness and capacity building services to local communities, institutions and private sectors;
b) Bridging the missing link between energy policy makers at high level, private institutions, market links, high level planning authorities and communities;
c) Supporting and promote legally proven and tested energy efficient devices for use by clients and people of the two districts;
d) Collecting of energy related data, creation of district energy database and dissemination of district relevant energy information;
e) Providing advisory services on energy related matters to clients, beneficiaries and district planning authorities;
f) Fundraising for the Agency, implement, monitor, document, report and share on all energy related projects in the district;
g) Enhancing collaboration and working relationships between the districts and relevant authorities in the country, NGOs and donor Agencies within and outside Malawi;
h) Conducting energy related research in the two districts and document the findings.
3.0 Area of operation
The proposed Mulanje Energy Agency shall basically operate in Mulanje and Phalombe districts taking advantage of the potentials existing around and immediate to Mulanje Mountain. However, taking into account of the diversity of energy sources, particularly biomass (Wood and agricultural residues), the Agency shall be mandated to offer all its services to all areas in Mulanje and Phalombe district. The operation of the agency shall not be restricted to growth of its services. Special modus operandi for the Agency shall be developed and agreed upon by all key stakeholders should its services be demanded beyond Mulanje and Phalombe district.
3.1 Initial support
The Agency shall attain its technical capacity through collaboration with other agencies and energy specialized institutions that the Agency shall work with. Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust (MMCT) shall take initially take the administrative role of making sure that the Agency is legally established and functional. Currently, MMCT has attracted two five-year energy projects from Practical Action (PA) with financial support from EU. Under guidance and supervision from MMCT, MMCT wishes to hand over the implementation, technical and financial management of these two projects to the Agency. This would include the vehicle, motorbike, computers and other office equipments. The staff for the two projects would already be deployed to the Agency. ProBEC is also willing to initially support the Agency with technical staff and some asserts. Mulanje District Assembly would provide the office space for the Agency which is part of the assets for Agency.
3.2 Ownership, operation and sustainability
This is an independent agency on energy related initiatives in Mulanje District. It does not belong to any of the stakeholder institutions. However, the stakeholder institutions shall guide its administrative and technical establishment. The key partners of the Agency shall be the Mulanje District Assembly on which land it shall be established. The Agency shall be a public semi-commercialized institution that shall provide promotional and support services while at the same time fundraise in a commercialized manner in order to sustain its operations and technical staff. The Agency shall also sustain its activities through attracting more energy related projects into its operational area as already illustrated by MMCT. The Agency shall operate under a Board of Governors (BoG) that shall be drawn from stakeholder institutions, private sector, relevant government departments and authorities.
3.3 Stakeholders’ commitments
Many stakeholders are committed to establishment of this Energy Agency. ProBEC-Mulanje is willing to support the establishment of the Agency through committing some of its technical staff and assets for a period of one year as the agency get established. This is done on the understanding that the Agency shall continue supporting and promoting initiatives that ProBEC has already initiated. MMCT has committed its administrative and legal establishment of the Agency, committed the human, financial and material resources for the two energy projects that are currently coordinated by MMCT. MMCT is also committed to offer its natural resource management expertise to the Agency component. The Department of Energy is committed to second one of its staffs to the agency on the understanding that the Agency marks a road-map to decentralization of energy initiatives to the district Assembly the way other departments have already done. Mulanje District Assembly is committed to house the Agency.
3.4 Attracting more renewable energy projects
Support Agencies and donor communities are keen to support renewable energy related initiatives in trying to help nations achieve the MDGs. Among a list of the key prerequisite to support such initiatives is the existence of well legally established and well structured implementing agencies in the nations. The establishment of the Energy Agency would serve as a transparent institution through which many support agencies would channel financial support meant to direct support to grassroots and districts which is also the basic step for development. The agency would attract more financial support to the district and develop energy initiatives in the district for the benefit of people of Mulanje.
3.5 Potentials for renewable energies
Solar energy presents substantial potentials to provide a significant portion of future energy needs for people of Mulanje and Phalombe Districts. The districts are generally endowed with solar energy receiving an average daily solar radiation of 4.25-6.86 kWh/m2 (15.3–24.7 MJ/m2), and a corresponding annual sunshine duration of 2596 hours (Taulo et tal, 2008). Maximum radiation is available in the months of September- December and minimum in March-July. The topography of Mulanje and Phalombe areas has quite some potential for the development of hydropower. The hilly terrain provides high head while high rainfall rates at elevated altitudes provide significant water flow. The average annual rainfall of Mulanje as a whole is 1600 mm, compared to a world average of 860 mm. Surface run off is the main water source in the district, notwithstanding the fact that on average only about 9% of the rainfall reaches the rivers. The mean annual run off of Mulanje Rivers is estimated at 51.63m3/s (NRWP, 1986). It has been estimated that the maximum theoretical potential for Mulanje and Phalombe is some104GWh per annum only. Owing to the high run-off variability from year to year, limited reservoir storage sites, losses by spillage during floods, the uneconomical scale of some sites, etc, a more conservative estimate of the realizable hydro potential would be nearer to 15% of the maximum theoretical potential; that is approximately 15.6 GWh per annum. Such potentials can closely be exploited if the district Energy Agency is established and functional for the benefit and development of the people in the district.
4.0 REFERENCES
Haines A., Kammen D (2000). Sustainable energy and health. Global change and human health; 1: 85-87
Hecht J. (2006). Valuing the resources of Mulanje mountain: current and projected use under alternative management scenario, USAID-Malawi occasional paper No.14.
IHS, (2005). Intergrated Household Survey 2004-2995. Household Socio-Economic Characteristics, national Statisitcal Office, Zomba, Malawi.
Salafsky, N. and Margoluis, R (1999): Threat reduction assessment: a practical and cost-effective approach to evaluating conservation and development projects. Conservation Biology 13:830 - 841.
Taulo, J.L; Mkandawire R.W and Gondwe K.J (2008): energy policy research baseline study for Mulanje and Phalombe districts submitted to Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust.