Renewable energy is the way forward to “fight poverty in Africa” and climate change in the world. These were the perspectives raised by Hortense Kagambèga Traoré from Burkina Faso during the recent large World Community Power Conference in Bamako 

“The possibility for developing community power in Africa and on a global scale comes from promoting renewable energy, because this is the main way to protect our environment and to fight climate change”, says Mrs. Hortense Kagambèga Traoré of Burkina Faso.

She is environmental engineer and hydrogeologist and brought her expertise to the World Community Power conference that recently gathered almost 300 experts from around the world in Bamako’s Hotel L’Amitié.

Solar panel shop Ouagadougou

Mrs. Traoré is cautiously optimistic for her continent because “Africa is sun rise area”, says she:

“We can promote (renewable) energy at a low price to fight poverty in Africa, and climate change in the world “.

She thinks the Bamako conference “identified problems which communities encounter about availability of energy” and feels assured that the outcome will be projects “that can help Africa. In particular Sub-Saharan countries face a lot of challenges with energy availability”.

The Burkinabé expert pinpoints the enormous African resources but regrets that so little of it is available for local and especially rural communities.

Governments must be involved

In Mrs. Traoré’s daily work she deals with sensitizing communities about the benefit of using renewable energies.

She focuses on solar energy and biodigester energy that allow small and medium enterprises and farmers to increase production in a sustainable way.

Mrs. Traoré shares the opinion of many other experts in the Bamako conference that to enhance local communities’ control over energy central governments must be involved. Decision makers at a national level have to show their goodwill and take concrete measures.

She gives a positive example from her home country, Burkina Faso.

Sonabel. HQ of the National Electricity Company of Burkina Faso

Here the government has encouraged banks to grant interest free credits to small and medium-sized enterprises to buy solar energy equipment.

“This measure will reduce the energy pressure on our utilities, like the national electricity company”, says Mrs. Traoré.

Demand for energy is growing in not only in Burkina Faso, but all over Africa

Environmental Engineer and Hydrogeologist

Program Manager at Women Environmental Program

Consultant in the field of environment, water, energy and climate change

Supervisor and project manager with Switch Africa Green on industrial symbiosis and energy efficiency.

2011-2018: Provisional teacher in Environmental Assessment at CRES: African Center for Research in Science and Training and INGRID Institute

Selected publications:

2018: Article on the impacts of climate variations on water resources in the Massili sub-basin (Nakanbé basin) in Burkina Faso

Consultancies:

2018: Project PRASE: External evaluation of the implementation of the environmental safeguard measures of the Donsin airport construction project, its access roads and rural roads

2018: Support Project for Higher Education (PAES): Environmental and Social Impact Note of the Virtual University of Burkina Faso

2013: Environmental and Social Audit of the Djama Djigui Industrial Unit

2008: Evaluation of the environmental impact of the ECOSAN project at CREPA (Regional Center for Drinking Water and Sanitation)

A biodigester is a tank which digests organic material biologically, also described as “a mechanical stomach” in various sources online: The biodigester “is fed with organic material, which is broken down (decomposed) by micro-organisms (bacteria) in an oxygen-free environment to produce a renewable energy called biogas (methane and carbon dioxide) and other material that is mainly used as fertilizer.