1.1. Situation analysis

The Sahel, the semi-arid region stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the East of Chad, is currently facing a humanitarian, security, economic and environmental crisis of an unprecedented scale that significantly threatens the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Almost 50 percent of the region lives in poverty and lacks access to natural capital, social services and basic infrastructure, especially in rural areas. Rapid population growth combined with environmental degradation, climate change and disaster impacts, food insecurity, diseases, weak governance and lack of job opportunities mainly for youth and women contribute to an increasing vulnerability of the Sahel population to extreme poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy, gender-based violence and recruitment by Non-State Armed Groups.

The lack of access to energy further compounds the realization of essential social and economic services, which are critical for human development in the region. As of today, severe energy scarcity still prevails in the Sahel region. Over the ten Sahel countries, national electricity access rates range from 12 percent in Chad to 67 percent in Senegal, with a national average of 43 percent and significant differences between urban and rural areas. Overall, around 168 million people currently lack access to electricity in the ten Sahel countries, of which 83 percent live in rural areas. The electricity mix in the Sahel countries is still dominated by large centralized fossil fuel power plants supplying the national grid. In Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa), about half of the grid electricity is provided by hydropower, with oil and gas accounting for most of the balance and non-hydro renewables representing only 4 percent of total generation output in 2018. Despite a vast renewable energy potential from solar, wind or biomass, the main effort in the region over the last decade has been on increasing electricity capacity by expanding centralized fossil fuel or hydro-based generation. As a result, other renewable energy technologies, which may often be better suited to many African countries with only limited hydrological and fossil fuel resources but vast wind, solar and biomass potential, are largely untapped.

Clean cooking shows even lower rates of access. In five Sahel countries, less than 5 percent of the population have access to clean cooking, and none of the ten Sahel countries have an access rate higher than 43 percent, which is far below the global average of 63 percent. Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region where the number of people without access to clean cooking continues to rise significantly. Lack of access to clean cooking is a significant contributor to premature deaths due to household air pollution. It also increases women’s and girls’ workloads and contributes to forest and land degradation, thus enhancing vulnerabilities to climate change. Despite efforts by several governments in the region to promote alternative cooking fuels (such as LPG), reliance on traditional use of biomass still dominates in rural areas. If the total energy situation is considered, traditional biomass represents the bulk of the final energy consumption, reaching up to 70-85 percent in some of the Sahel countries .

Providing access to clean, reliable and affordable energy (SDG7) is a fundamental enabler of the broader set of SDGs, which has the potential to trigger the transformational change needed to improve the development indicators in the Sahel region sustainably. Access to clean energy - sustainable power to ensure critical socio-economic services in health, WASH, education or nutrition - can serve environmental protection and provide essential ingredients for lifting people out of poverty, improving health and security outcomes, boosting educational levels, reducing gender inequities and enabling sustainable socio-economic development. Guided by Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN system in general and UNDP in particular have an important role to play to support governments and other stakeholders in their efforts to close the energy gap through the provision of clean, affordable and reliable energy access to the Sahelian population, starting with the most vulnerable groups.

1.2. UNDP’s Action

In 2013, the UN Security Council adopted the UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS) with three pillars (governance, security and resilience) as an integrated and well-coordinated response to the Sahel crisis. In 2018, a UNISS Support Plan (SP) was elaborated to scale up efforts to promote greater coherence, coordination and collaboration among stakeholders for expedited sustainable development of the region. The UNISS Support Plan includes promoting access to renewable energy as one of its six priority areas.

For the operationalization of the UNISS vision for the Sahel, on the request of UNSDG, UNDP is leading a joint effort of the UN agencies to frame a common UN renewable energy offer for the Sahel to reach universal access to modern energy services (SDG 7) and power the economies for increased prosperity, peace and overall wellbeing in the region. In this scope, a vision paper was issued in 2019, and a conceptual framework is being developed by the partner agencies, focusing on supporting access to sustainable energy as an enabler to economic development, in particular in rural areas and crisis settings.

UNDP’s leadership role in this effort is justified by its strong presence in the region (ten country offices, one subregional Hub in Dakar) and its long experience in institutional capacity building and community support in the energy sector, both as executing agency of vertical funds and trusted partner of a wide range of donors.

1.1. Situation analysis

The Sahel, the semi-arid region stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the East of Chad, is currently facing a humanitarian, security, economic and environmental crisis of an unprecedented scale that significantly threatens the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Almost 50 percent of the region lives in poverty and lacks access to natural capital, social services and basic infrastructure, especially in rural areas. Rapid population growth combined with environmental degradation, climate change and disaster impacts, food insecurity, diseases, weak governance and lack of job opportunities mainly for youth and women contribute to an increasing vulnerability of the Sahel population to extreme poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy, gender-based violence and recruitment by Non-State Armed Groups.

The lack of access to energy further compounds the realization of essential social and economic services, which are critical for human development in the region. As of today, severe energy scarcity still prevails in the Sahel region. Over the ten Sahel countries, national electricity access rates range from 12 percent in Chad to 67 percent in Senegal, with a national average of 43 percent and significant differences between urban and rural areas. Overall, around 168 million people currently lack access to electricity in the ten Sahel countries, of which 83 percent live in rural areas. The electricity mix in the Sahel countries is still dominated by large centralized fossil fuel power plants supplying the national grid. In Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa), about half of the grid electricity is provided by hydropower, with oil and gas accounting for most of the balance and non-hydro renewables representing only 4 percent of total generation output in 2018. Despite a vast renewable energy potential from solar, wind or biomass, the main effort in the region over the last decade has been on increasing electricity capacity by expanding centralized fossil fuel or hydro-based generation. As a result, other renewable energy technologies, which may often be better suited to many African countries with only limited hydrological and fossil fuel resources but vast wind, solar and biomass potential, are largely untapped.

Clean cooking shows even lower rates of access. In five Sahel countries, less than 5 percent of the population have access to clean cooking, and none of the ten Sahel countries have an access rate higher than 43 percent, which is far below the global average of 63 percent. Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region where the number of people without access to clean cooking continues to rise significantly. Lack of access to clean cooking is a significant contributor to premature deaths due to household air pollution. It also increases women’s and girls’ workloads and contributes to forest and land degradation, thus enhancing vulnerabilities to climate change. Despite efforts by several governments in the region to promote alternative cooking fuels (such as LPG), reliance on traditional use of biomass still dominates in rural areas. If the total energy situation is considered, traditional biomass represents the bulk of the final energy consumption, reaching up to 70-85 percent in some of the Sahel countries .

Providing access to clean, reliable and affordable energy (SDG7) is a fundamental enabler of the broader set of SDGs, which has the potential to trigger the transformational change needed to improve the development indicators in the Sahel region sustainably. Access to clean energy - sustainable power to ensure critical socio-economic services in health, WASH, education or nutrition - can serve environmental protection and provide essential ingredients for lifting people out of poverty, improving health and security outcomes, boosting educational levels, reducing gender inequities and enabling sustainable socio-economic development. Guided by Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN system in general and UNDP in particular have an important role to play to support governments and other stakeholders in their efforts to close the energy gap through the provision of clean, affordable and reliable energy access to the Sahelian population, starting with the most vulnerable groups.

1.2. UNDP’s Action

In 2013, the UN Security Council adopted the UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS) with three pillars (governance, security and resilience) as an integrated and well-coordinated response to the Sahel crisis. In 2018, a UNISS Support Plan (SP) was elaborated to scale up efforts to promote greater coherence, coordination and collaboration among stakeholders for expedited sustainable development of the region. The UNISS Support Plan includes promoting access to renewable energy as one of its six priority areas.

For the operationalization of the UNISS vision for the Sahel, on the request of UNSDG, UNDP is leading a joint effort of the UN agencies to frame a common UN renewable energy offer for the Sahel to reach universal access to modern energy services (SDG 7) and power the economies for increased prosperity, peace and overall wellbeing in the region. In this scope, a vision paper was issued in 2019, and a conceptual framework is being developed by the partner agencies, focusing on supporting access to sustainable energy as an enabler to economic development, in particular in rural areas and crisis settings.

UNDP’s leadership role in this effort is justified by its strong presence in the region (ten country offices, one subregional Hub in Dakar) and its long experience in institutional capacity building and community support in the energy sector, both as executing agency of vertical funds and trusted partner of a wide range of donors.

Integrity and professionalism:

Demonstrated expertise in area of specialty and ability to apply good judgment;

High degree of autonomy and ability to take ownership;

Willingness to accept responsibilities and ability to work independently;

Ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially;

Work in responsive and client-oriented manner.

Accountability:

Ability to operate in compliance with organizational rules and regulations.

Planning, effective organizational and problem-solving skills:

Ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner;

Ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work.

Teamwork

Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

Communication

Excellent oral and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports;

Ability to make and defend recommendations;

Ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds;

Ability to maintain composure and remain helpful towards colleagues, but objective, without showing personal interest.