Toutes les civilisations ont leurs modèles d’interprétation fondés sur l’observation de la nature. Ce sont en fait des corpus au travers desquels nos ancêtres prévoyaient les saisons à partir des indicateurs tels que la chaleur, la rosée, l’harmattan, l’apparition des feuilles de certains arbres, de certains oiseaux, bref, des stratégies inspirées de nos us et coutumes. Comment alors capitaliser ces savoirs traditionnels dans certains pays africains, particulièrement, le Bénin, berceau du vodoun, confronté lui aussi aux effets des changements climatiques ?
Savoirs ethno-climatique : la contextualisation du concept
Le Woutoutou, de son nom en fon, le Centropus Senegalensis, de son nom scientifique ou le Coucal du Sénégal, comme on l’appelle communément, est une espèce dont l’apparition, selon les savoirs endogènes, annonce une pluie imminente. De même, l’apparition des oiseaux migrateurs comme l’épervier, la floraison de certains arbres comme l’iroko ou l’apparition de l’arc-en-ciel, sont-là, des repères empiriques qui permettent aux populations de bien pratiquer les activités agricoles et de se protéger de l’incertitude climatique. C’est ainsi que le concept « savoirs ethno-climatologiques » a été forgé en 1986 par l’Universitaire, Professeur Eustache Bokono Ganta, au point d’en faire une science. Pour son confrère Michel Boko, considéré au Bénin comme le père de la climatologie, membre du GIEC (Groupe Intergouvernemental sur l’évolution du climat), il s’agit en fait de l’anthropologie culturelle appliquée à la climatologie. Dans un cas comme dans l’autre, le concept « savoirs ethno-climatologiques » a connu du succès aussi bien au Bénin qu’en Afrique.
Un champ d’étude pour les scientifiques
D’ailleurs AkibouAbanitchéAkindélé, Chef Département de Géographie et d’Aménagement du Territoire au Centre Universitaire d’Adjarra, y a consacré sa thèse sous le thème : « Savoirs ethno-climatologiques en pays Wémè et Holi : fondements et implications économiques et socio-culturelles ». « Il y a plusieurs travaux qui ont été réalisés sur le climat au Bénin et la plupart de ces travaux ont utilisé des approches essentiellement statistiques, souligne Monsieur Akibou ». « Mais avant que l’on ait les instruments qui ont permis de faire ces mesures, c’est-à-dire, les pluviomètres, les thermomètres, enfin, tout ce qui est scientifiquement admis, nos ancêtres avaient déjà l’habitude de faire de l’agriculture », indique le Docteur Akindélé. On peut alors se poser des questions sur comment nos aïeux ont pu faire face aux effets du climat.
Comment capitaliser ces savoirs endogènes
Au Bénin et tout comme dans certains pays africains, les croyances sont encore très fortes car ces pays se réfèrent à la cosmogonie et à l’imaginaire pour expliquer le dérèglement climatique. Mieux, le savoir traditionnel, les connaissances et les pratiques des populations
PAMACC, Berlin-GERMANY: African winners of the media fellowship to the 2018 Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue have underscored the urgency of deploying innovative solutions and technologies to fast-track the transition to clean energy in Africa.
Speaking on the pervasive level of energy poverty on the continent, the four media fellows drawn from Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia all pledged their commitment to putting ‘energiewende’ (energy transition) on the front burner of national discourse in their respective countries.
Africa’s energy poverty leaves about 600 million people in darkness with no access to energy. According to McKinsey’s projection, Africa requires $490bn investment by 2040 to turn the tide in its quest for energy efficiency.
A bit disappointed by the low level of her country’s representation at the global energy talks which attracted high-ranking delegations from 40 countries and around 2,000 delegates from 95 countries, Meriam Khadraoui from Tunis Afrique Press (TAP) expressed her determination to deploy the unique hands-on experiences and innovative concepts she came across during the fellowship in pushing Tunisia to the next frontier of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
“Germany’s pioneering role in energy transition remains a model which my country should adopt in view of the abundant renewable energy sources that we have,” Khadraoui said.
For Ayoola Kassim of Channels TV and Atâyi Babs Opaluwah of Climate Reporters, both from Nigeria, a country endowed with abundant renewable energy resources like large and small hydro, solar, biomass, tidal and ocean waves as well as geothermal, energy transition is not just an option but a key to unlocking Nigeria’s full potential.
“With the right regulatory frameworks and policies in place, energiewende will leapfrog Nigerian film industry (Nollywood) by unleashing the unbreakable Nigerian spirit through renewables,” says Opaluwah.
That Nigeria still reels under pervasive energy poverty with her per capita electricity use remaining very low despite amazing wealth of fossil and renewable energy resources, the fellows say, is enough justification for her to toe the German path to energy efficiency.
According to Opaluwah, “there is an urgent need to create a low carbon energy future that meets the sustainable development needs of all people in Nigeria, West Africa and and indeed the whole of Africa.” That is where our experiences in Berlin, the hotspot of global energy transformation, comes in handy as we hope to influence policies and frameworks while shifting focus to energy transition through our works,” he added.
Lebo Tshangela of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) finds it worrying that South Africa meets 77% of its energy needs through coal and only 16% through renewable energy.
“This is disturbing as before us is a bold plan to reduce emissions by below two degrees celsius as stated in our nationally determined contributions to the Paris Accord,” he said.
“It is my hope that this fellowship will help me in working to change perceptions of government, private sector and individuals as well as raise awareness on the danger of our continued reliance on fossil fuels for our energy needs in South Africa, Lebo added.
Put in place by the German Federal Office, the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue fellowship programme brings together selected journalists from across the world to report on global energy transition imperatives and to raise awareness on the opportunities in the renewable energy sector as well as its contributions to meeting the targets of the Paris Agreement.
PAMACC in Berlin - Germany: Experts at a panel discussion on off-grid systems at the 2018 Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD) have identified off-grid systems as the way out Africa’s rural electrification challenges.
This is coming on the heels of the report that about 40% of new connections required to achieve universal energy access will come from off-grid solutions with 35% being mini-grid solutions and 5% as standalone systems
The panel, which comprised Dr Amani Abou-Zeid, Commissioner for infrastructure, energy, ICT and tourism at the African Union Commission agreed that off-grid power generation can take place in Africa in various forms starting from the simplest systems consisting of a PV-panel and a battery to high installed power isolated grids.
“With off-grid systems, Africa stands a better chance of leapfrogging other regions of the world in Energiewende (Energy Transition),” Dr Abou-Zeid said.
Other panellists which included Seleshi Bekele Awulachew, Ethiopian water, irrigation and electricity minister, and Mamisoa Rakotoarimanana, executive secretary of the Rural Electrification Agency in Madagascar, Thomas Duveau, Molly Webb, and Eckard Wolf, however cautioned that for off-grid systems to succeed in Africa, it is essential to have a good regulatory framework that can anticipate and accommodate various implementation structures including business operation models that encourage private sector investment.
It is important, panellists say, for Africa to deploy innovative methods in addressing the persistent challenges in the region’s energy sector.
Acknowledging Africa’s lack of strong institutional capacity as a major drawback of the region’s aspirations for clean energy transition, the energy commissioner declared AU’s readiness to provide member states “with policy solutions including regulations and standards towards an affordable, faster and more beneficial transition across all sectors of our economies.”
“We are committed to a cleaner, more secure and sustainable energy supply. Realizing this would require joint effort with all our partners in coordinating initiatives and sharing best practices to realise decisive and effective steps towards energy transition,” Dr Abou-Zeid added
Peter Altmeier, German energy minister at the dialogue said “It is possible to create prosperity, peace and security through Energiewende.” “Energy transition can provide more opportunities to this end for Africa and other regions of the world.
African non-state actors were not left out of the global energy meet as they underlined the need for the Berlin dialogue to recognise and apply the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) in their quest to liberate Africa from energy poverty.
The CBDR principle recognises historical differences in the contribution of developed and developing states to global environmental problems as well as differences in their respective economic and technical capacity to tackle these problems.
Augustine B Njamnshi, Coordinator, of the African Coalition for Sustainable Energy and Access (ACSEA) called on the German government and other developed countries “to draw parallel between those who have the luxury and option of transitioning from fossil-based energy to clean energy and those who do not have access to any form of energy at all and are in urgent need of energy.”
“For Energiewende to succeed in Africa, developed countries must recognise their historic responsibility and prioritise Africa’s needs through innovative financing and technology,” Njamshi added.
PAMACC in Berlin, GERMANY: Global leaders from across the spheres of energy, foreign policy, trade, development and business have been announced as members of the newly formed Global Commission on the Geopolitics of Energy Transformation.
The Commission was launched in January during the Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and its work is supported by the governments of Germany, Norway and the United Arab Emirates.
Leading the Commission as Chair is the former President of Iceland, Olafur Grimsson. Members of the Commission include prominent government and business leaders from the United States, Saudi Arabia, China, Germany, Brazil and Russia and other countries.
The line-up was announced on the second day of the annual Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD), hosted by the German Federal Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Economy and Energy.
The Commission will meet for the first time during the BETD to establish a roadmap towards the development of an authoritative report to be released during IRENA’s next Assembly taking place in Abu Dhabi, in January.
“This Commission represents a truly formidable body of global leaders who will bring rigour, critical thinking, and a broad range of perspectives to the table as we analyse the potential effects of a renewables-based energy system on national and global politics,” said Commission Chair Olafur Grimsson.
“As a result, this Commission’s work will be a robust assessment of the evolving geopolitics of energy as we move towards the post-carbon era.”
The Commissioners will bring professional perspectives from nations across the world and will reflect insights from traditional energy exporters, and net energy importers alike.
Countries at various stages of renewable energy exploration and development are also represented in the Commission’s membership. The Commission will be supported by an expert panel of renowned academics.
“The shift to renewable energy is proving to be one of the most positively transformational trends of our age. Renewables offer a cost-effective pathway to poverty reduction, increased energy access and economic growth whilst reducing energy-related emissions,” said Adnan Z. Amin.
“As we move towards a more decarbonised, decentralised and digitalised energy system, and scale-up renewables in line with the Paris Climate Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals, countries will need to better understand the nature of the evolving geopolitical landscape, so as to ensure prosperity and peace,” he added.
Deputy Director-General for Energy and Climate Policy and Export Control at the German Federal Foreign office, Peter Fischer described the commission as a development capable of accelerating the global energy transition.
Energiewende (Energy transition), according to Fischer, "will affect global politics as energy can be used as a means of power and coercion in international relations. This reinforces the need to build capacity and strengthen global systems through a framework such as this commission," says Fischer.
Some of the members of the commission include Khalid M. Al-Sulaiman, former Vice President for Renewable Energy at King Abdullah City for Atomic & Renewable Energy, Saudi Arabia, Adnan Z. Amin, Director-General of IRENA, Anatoly Chubais, former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, and Christiana Figueres, Former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Others include Joschka Fischer, former Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister of Germany, Pascal Lamy, former Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Carlos Lopes, former Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, Bill Richardson, Former US Secretary of Energy, Maria van der Hoeven, former Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, and Peter Fsicher, the Deputy Director-General for Energy and Climate Policy and Export Control at the German Federal Foreign office.
