SDG Asia Workshop

In my view, clean energy really means for long time. In present case, world is being follwed behind coal and petroleum. The major alternatives may be, hydro-electricity, wind energy, etc which is suitable for that place. The peak consumption of non-renewable energy should be replaced by clean one.

 In Nepal, the entire scenario of energy use of the country, only 1% energy need is fulfilled by electricity. The bulk of the energy need is dominated by fuel wood (68%), agricultural waste (15%), animal dung (8%) and imported fossil fuel (8%) (Reference: http://www.ippan.org.np/HPinNepal.html). This shows energy from carbon production is much higher than clean and affordable energy.  Ultimately, carbon is returning to atmosphere from burning or rotting when the trees die. For this, the trees grown in natural land or planted should be sequestered, e.g., via biochar, bio-energy with carbon storage.

The other fact is that only about 40% of Nepal's population has access to electricity. Nepal has immense potential of hydropower development; therefore, it is important for Nepal to increase its energy dependency on electricity with hydropower development. Due to perennial nature of Nepali rivers and the steep gradient of the country's topography provide ideal conditions for the development of some of the world's largest hydroelectric projects in Nepal.

Current estimates are that Nepal has approximately 40,000 MW of economically feasible hydropower potential. However, the present situation is that Nepal has developed only approximately 600 MW of hydropower which is extremely lower compared to other forms of energy. We can notice shortage or deficit of electric energy in dry season compared to monsoon season.Therefore, bulk of the economically feasible generation has not been realized yet. (Reference: http://www.ippan.org.np/HPinNepal.html)

THE CONTEXT OF ALTERNATIVE ENEGERY IN NEPAL

Nepal is a country capable of high potential for renewable energy resources like hydro, solar, wind, biomass etc. The country has plentiful hydroelectric potential. The theoretical hydroelectric potential has been estimated to be as high as 83,000 MW of which 42,000 MW seems to be technically and economically feasible. Similarly, Nepal also has huge potential for solar energy. The country is located at a favorable latitude that receives ample amounts of solar radiation. From solar energy alone, around 2,920 GWh of energy per year can be harnessed with the utilization of just 0.01% of the total land area of Nepal. Other renewable energy sources abundantly available in the country are biomass and wind. The sustainable supply of fuelwood from a reachable area of all land resources is around 12 million tons. Likewise, total production of animal dung is about 15 million tons. Utilization of 10% of the total area of Nepal could commercially generate more than 3,000 MW of electricity with consideration of the installed capacity of 5MW per km2.

The SDG7 targets include achieving, by 2030, (i) universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services,(ii) increasing substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix and (iii) doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency. Nearly three-fourths (74.7 percent) of households in the Nepal use solid fuels as the primary source of energy for cooking, while one-fifth (18 percent) use LPG for cooking. While nearly three fourths (74 percent) of the households have access to electricity, actual supply of electricity is grossly inadequate. In rural areas, electricity supply from off-grid hydro power plants is limited and used mostly for lighting and to charge small appliances like mobile phones. Electricity from solar PV home systems is growing but it is sufficient mostly for lighting only. Grid electricity is unreliable with erratic power cuts in the dry season. Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy for all is a daunting task. However, given the immense hydro power potential, and with the private sector becoming more competent in power generation, grid connectivity expanding and alternative modern energy sources being capitalized, the country can meet the targets. Thus the proposed specific targets for SDG 7 include accessibility of 99 percent households to electricity; reduction to 30 percent - from nearly 75 percent now - the households who resort to firewood for cooking; limiting the use of LPG to less than 40 percent of the households; generation of 15,000 MW of installed capacity; and per capita electricity consumption increased to 1500 kWh.

The remarkable achievement made by Nepal in terms of access to electricity with almost 80 percent of the population getting electric power as of the end of 2016 compared to 20 percent in 2000. 

Nepal having good achievement in recent days on increase production of hydro electric power does not mean we all are getting in the right track we still need to accelerate our potential to use wind energy mostly able to be accessed in high highly and mountainous areas of the country and bio gas energy usable any where in the nation.      

“But it will also require a wide-ranging financing framework capable of channeling resources and investment of all kinds—public and private, national and global—to achieve such goals and unpack the potential.” 

To achieve the SEforAll in LDCs and particularly in our country Nepal, We all need to tap all available sources of energy while having medium- and long-term strategies for transition to clean, green and renewable energy. For this, We also need to develop national strategy to create enabling environment and a supportive investment climate. Likewise, sensitization of population, involvement of Civil Society Organizations and Community Based Organizations in planning and implementation and inter-agency coordination should be the major priority. 

In this regard, the LDC initiated Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Initiative (REEEI) for Sustainable Development should be put into action. This new initiative, let us hope, will help improve livelihoods across the LDCs, bringing modern, clean, resilient energy systems to millions of energy-starved people. 

Therefore the SEforAll goal of “Going Further, Faster—Together” will just not be a popular slogan, but a sustainable energy action to ensure no one will be left behind in achieving the ambitious global goals for sustainable development  .

The green house gases emissions scenario is high due to the rapid urbanization and modernization. Sue to the cumulative increase in green house gases in the atmosphere, global warming is increasing day by day ultimately leads to the climate change process. Now a days various countries have given more priorities to the renewable form of energies than the traditional form of energies. So renewable energies like sunlight, geothermal wind, tidal energies. 

Coal, wood fuel, diesel, petroleum products that generates huge amount of gases are slowly replaced by renewable energies such as micro hydro power,wind,solar, bio briquettes and government, line agencies, stakeholders etc. are investing huge amount of finance in such energies rather than traditional energies which emits huge amount of green house gases. People are highly motivated to use such types of energies. Afforestation programs are done various parts of the rural area in the barren land that sequestrates large amount of green house gases from the atmosphere. At the same time, sophisticated equipment's  are now available in the markets which release lesser amount of green house gases. Government, donors, various organizations are giving incentives to the  people in the for the hire of the various types of the 

energies  like  solar energies, briquettes etc. At the same time people are getting incentives in the purchase of advance equipment's. In this way we can say that, energy is being cleaner and  affordable. 

 Political instability, Weak allocation of the financial resources, weak institutional mechanisms, weak strategies of the governments, weak communication mechanisms, limited information to the people, weak coordination mechanisms with the stakeholders.

Various  successful experiences that can be learned and adopted in SA and SEA are the successful implementation of CDM projects and also various types of the programs are launched such as Reducing Emissions Forest Deforestation and Degradation (REED). In south Asian countries, more priorities are given to the renewable form of energies rather than traditional form of energies and they have successfully implemented like thermal, hydro power,  wind energy etc. such types of the energy should be diversified in local to national level by giving subsidy and more information related things should be communicated through the means of media. People should be empowered with the various types of the training so that they can be motivated towards the use of the renewable form of the energy. Skill enhancement opportunities should be provided to the people and opportunities should be created at local level so that they will be motivated towards the use of the renewable energy.