aElectricity and water use on agendaMiddle East and North Africa talk energy [Archives:2004/733/Community]

Ismail Al-Ghabiri
The Middle East & North Africa Renewable Energy Conference ended its sessions on April 22.
The conference which lasted for two days, discussed means to improve an essential needed regional cooperation towards the development of renewable energy as part of sustainable development.
The conference was organized by the Yemeni ministries of electricity, and of water and environment, in accordance with the German ministry of environment and nuclear safety.
In the final session, the Yemeni minister of electricity, Abdul Rahman Tarmoom, asserted the importance of renewable energy and its usage in the process of development in Yemen, and also as a mean to protect the environment, saying that “in Yemen, we are still in the stages of establishing, and also educating about, this technology. In addition to collecting data and information that will enable yemen to put the appropriate principles for this technology.”
In his part, Mohammed L. Al-Eryani, Yemeni minister of water and environment, emphasized that the renewable energy is considered a very important choice to Yemen, because of the environmental dangers on the Yemeni countryside.
Such dangers, as indicated by the minister, are the natural results of the scattered population and limited energy resources, which force the poor to tend to firewood as an alternative source for heating, which threatens the soil.
James Rawley , UNDP representative in Yemen, stated in his speech that the activities of the UN developmental program is aiming at helping the developing countries in their attempts to develop economically, socially and environmentally at the same time. He also indicated the program support for developing the sources of renewable energy.
Rawley, also pointed out that, that according to the 2000 Yemen statistical year book, there are some 300,000 rural households who live in small villages scattered in remote mountains regions, semi-desert or costal areas. Given the crucial need for energy access and the high cost of central grid extension-particularly to remote villages, renewable energy applications are expected to play a fundamental role in rural electrification.
Indeed, for most of these villages, the cost of the grid extension or energy via diesel based generators is prohibitive whereas both solar and wind energy sources represent an important alternative for energy supply.
The German minister of environment and nuclear safety, Juergen Trittin, stressed the necessity to establish a new international system to protect the energy sources, and resist climate changes and poverty. Urging the north to open its doors to the south, the minister indicated that exchange of information is an effective avenue to that. In that span he, pointed out that Germany has come far in the field of renewable energy and protecting environment in general.
Trittin also reassured attendees of Germany's commitment to pay 500 Millions Euro, within the next five years, to developing countries to use in the field of renewable energy.
In his speech, Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of UNEP, Nairobi, pointed out to the fact that there are many issues to discuss, particularly in the field of energy, in terms of saving it and improving the quality of production. He also stated that there is a great challenge the world has to face in the subject of energy usage, emphasizing that his participation in the conference came as a try to create a stronger cooperation with the Yemeni government.
At the end of their conference, the participants call upon the industrial nations and international organizations to establish a regional center for renewable energy in Yemen. Such a center, as proposed by participants, shall conduct researches on the technology of renewable energy.
They also urged the industrial nations to fulfill their financial and technical obligations towards developing nations. The participants also signified the importance of proving such nations with technology that are environmentally safe, and economically available, which can be easily designed and transported.
It is noteworthy that representatives from 17 countries attended the conference, most of which were from Middle East, North Africa in addition to participation by Yemeni and foreign private sectors.
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