CHALLENGES
Energy Poverty
The overall electrification rate in Burkina Faso is 14% and more than 87% of the population relies on wood to cook. Most of the population experiencing energy poverty has no choice but to cook on three-stone stoves and to use kerosene or battery-powered lamps for lighting. These rudimentary equipments are the most available options for the poorest hosueholds, even though they are inefficient and costly. Their use has severe environmental, health, and economic consequences.
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Poor quality energy equipments require large quantities of fuels to operate and exacerbate the pressure on natural resources. Every year, 110,500 hectares of forest disappear and everyday 462 million barrels of oil are consumed, solely for lighting purpose . Adding on the destruction of fossil fuels, these equipments generate several million tons of CO2 every year, which further accelerates climate change.
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Cooking and lighting with inadequate equipments has a significant health impact too. Traditional cookstoves release toxic emissions containing monoxide and particulate matter, causing pulmonary infections. These diseases affect mostly women and children. 4 million people worldwide die every year from cooking-related smoke. The use of kerosene lamps and candles is also responsible for 300 000 deaths per year, related to fires and burns.
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Finally, energy poverty keeps the families locked in poverty. Low-quality equipments require large amounts of fuels. Users can either buy this fuel, which can represent as much as 25% of their overall expenses, or collect wood, a burdensome task often assigned to women which can take up to 20 hours per week.
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However, technical solutions do exist. Improved and gas cookstoves, solar kits and solar lamps are some of the technological alternatives available. These products allow for beneficiaries to save money, protect their health and preserve the environment.
Market Barriers
Despite the proven advantages of technical solutions to energy poverty, there are several barriers to adoption.
Indeed, if these technologies do allow to save money on fuel, acquiring them in the first place involves an initial investment that the poorest can’t afford. The industry weakness in the sector of energy products may also limit their production and availability. Product’s unavailability may be worsen by the weakness of distribution networks which rarely reach remote areas. Moreover, the absence of legal standards and regulations hinders the development of an industrial sector for clean, renewable, and affordable energy and energy products. Finally, the existence and benefits of modern devices are often ignored by the ones who need it the most, thereby impeding their widespread diffusion.
To overcome the barriers to widespread adoption energy products, Nafa Naana has developed an adequate strategy, based on access to information, access to product, and access to financial services.
Indeed, if these technologies do allow to save money on fuel, acquiring them in the first place involves an initial investment that the poorest can’t afford. The industry weakness in the sector of energy products may also limit their production and availability. Product’s unavailability may be worsen by the weakness of distribution networks which rarely reach remote areas. Moreover, the absence of legal standards and regulations hinders the development of an industrial sector for clean, renewable, and affordable energy and energy products. Finally, the existence and benefits of modern devices are often ignored by the ones who need it the most, thereby impeding their widespread diffusion.
To overcome the barriers to widespread adoption energy products, Nafa Naana has developed an adequate strategy, based on access to information, access to product, and access to financial services.
