Date: 09/11/2010
Source: The Department of Science and Technology
Title: SA: Pandor: Address by the Minister of Science and Technology, at the 2010 African Science Academy Development Initiative Conference, Somerset West

Programme Director;
Chair of the African Science Academy Development Initiative Board, Dr
Queta Bond;
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology,
South Africa, Dr Nqaba Ngcobo;
President, Academy of Science of South Africa, Prof. Robin Crewe
Presidents of Science Academies of Africa;

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Science Academies are important institutions due to the potential role
they can play in advancing scientific and technological development in
our countries. Most successful science and technology systems have
well established effective and competent Science Academies. We in
Africa need to ensure we provide support and resources to our
academies so they can also assist Africa science excellence.
Today ASADI is hosting its sixth conference, a clear sign of the value
we all attach to the exchange of information among African science
academies.
The most important test for all of us , however is the need to assess
the degree to which academies contribute to policy and action in
Africa.

This conference will provide an opportunity to discuss strategies on
improving energy access in sub-Saharan Africa, and explore the
potential for African academies of science to provide additional
support to national policy formation in this area.

The conference coincides with the release of a publication called
"Turning science on: Improving access to energy in sub-Saharan
Africa". It was produced by the Academy of Science of South Africa in
consultation with the academies of Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria,
Uganda, Senegal, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

The publication reflects on the status of energy access in each of the
contributing countries, identifies barriers to improving energy
access, and suggests science-based solutions and interventions.

In contrast to the starkness of the findings in the publication, the
four "key messages to policy makers" are profound and compelling.

With this publication as your launch pad, this conference will
certainly be more able to improve the synergy between scientific
research and policy implementation.

On the one hand, delegates will be able to learn much from site visits
to nuclear energy generation facilities like Koeberg, and on the
other, a visit to the Kuyasa informal settlement in Khayelitsha.

The Kuyasa Clean Development Mechanism Project provides solar water
heaters, insulating ceiling boards, and energy-efficient compact
fluorescent light bulbs to low-income households in Khayelitsha, Cape
Town. This project was awarded the Gold Standard for projects with
exceptional high social benefits by the global Gold Standard
Foundation.

The findings in the ASADI report corroborate and validate findings in
other studies.

The World Energy Outlook 2010 report indicates that about 1,4 billion
people around the world lack access to electricity, about 20% of the
world's population.

In sub-Saharan African only 30% (about 285 million) of people have
access to electricity.

This is the lowest figure in the world, despite that fact that Africa
has significant oil, gas, coal, hydro and renewable energy resources.

Furthermore, more than 90% of the populations of countries such as the
Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi and Uganda have no access to
electricity.

However, this challenge is not unique to the African continent. There
are millions of households in other parts of the developing world that
do not have access to modern, affordable, clean, reliable and safe
energy services. High prices are often paid for poor-quality
substitutes.

To give a clearer picture, about 40% of the global population, or 2,7
billion individuals, still rely on the traditional use of plant
biomass or wood for cooking and for other household chores.

In sub-Saharan Africa, 80% of the total population rely on plant
biomass or wood for cooking.

About 1,45 million people die prematurely each year from household air
pollution due to combustion inefficiencies associated with the basic
technologies used in biomass cooking.

What makes matters worse is that a significant number of these deaths
are of young children.

This sort of statistic makes the issue of universal access to clean,
safe energy no longer merely a moral issue but a matter of life and
death.

Without access to energy individuals and communities are unable to
lift themselves out of poverty. It is a primary determinant of access
to social and economic development.

While there is much still to be done, our success in broadening access
to energy since 1994 is one of the proudest achievements of South
Africa's democratic government.

In 1993, only 30% of South African households had electricity, but in
2009 our household electrification rate stood at 75%.

While pursuing other clean and affordable energy sources, we are
working very hard to ensure that all households have electricity.

In closing, I cannot emphasise too strongly the importance of the role
our national academies can play in fostering the skills that will
provide us with clean and affordable energy technologies. Furthermore,
academies can advise governments on other energy related policies such
as forestation for communities that use wood sources.

The tasks of broadening access to energy and developing new cleaner
technologies and sources provide a set of critical research themes for
our academies. Such studies should also focus on employment and
business development opportunities in order to provide governments
with a synthesis of proposals that respond to the various dimensions
that make up the ‘Energy challenge' in Africa.

I thank you.