Author(s): VITO
Date: Tuesday, 11th June 2024
First EPIC Transition Space Meetings held in Nairobi and Accra
In early 2024, EPIC Africa launched its inaugural Transition Space meetings, taking place in Kenya’s Tana River Basin and Ghana’s Volta River Basin. These groundbreaking gatherings are key components of EPIC Africa’s innovative co-creation modelling process, aimed at tackling the complex interdependencies of water, energy, and food (WEF) systems in these regions. The meetings united a dynamic mix of visionaries from civil society, the private sector, government, and academia, fostering a collaborative environment. These Transition Spaces mark the beginning of a journey toward sustainable development in the basins, driven by joint efforts and model-based planning.
Author(s): Professor Viktoria Martin and Shravan Kumar, KTH
Date: Tuesday, 16th April 2024
WEF Model Development gaining insights from the EPIC Africa Transition Space dialogue – Lessons from Kenya Meeting February 2024.
EPIC Africa development of fully open-source models for integrated assessment of synergies and trade-offs between resources systems water-energy-food in the Volta and Tana river basins (work package 4) is well under way. The models are constructed using the OSeMOSYS tool (http://www.osemosys.org/ ), with a user-friendly interface developed by UNDESA. The intention is that these country models can aid in studying the implications of different policy and development options using long-term, water-energy-food perspectives, until 2060. Special attention is given to the Volta and Tana river basins, enabling hydropower for affordable, renewable electricity generation, but also benefits such as flood-control and irrigation.
Author: Gilbert Mwangi (TAHMO)
Date: Monday, 23rd October 2023
Sustaining Progress: The Vital Role of Flood and Weather Early Warning Systems
I have witnessed the development of early warning systems across various countries. These systems hold the potential to save lives and safeguard communities in the face of natural disasters and emergencies. However, their effectiveness often falters due to challenges related to sustainability and information dissemination. In this blog, I will delve into the critical need for sustainable projects within the realm of early warning systems and highlight the pivotal role that organizations can play in addressing these challenges. Additionally, I will shed some light on the innovative contributions of Epic Africa to the field…
Author: Carlos Guerrero Lucendo (VITO)
Date: Thursday, 19th October 2023
Shape the Future and join the EPIC Africa’s Water-Energy-Food Transition Spaces
Do you consider yourself a visionary? Are you able to think abstractly into the future? Are you passionate about discussing and addressing the synergies and trade-offs around the Water-Energy-Food nexus? If so, this is your chance to apply for a spot at the EPIC Africa Transition Spaces in the Volta River Basin and in the Tana River Basin…
Author: Romeo Tweneboah Koduah (Senior Technical Officer of RCEES, UENR)
Date: Wednesday, 23rd August 2023
Enhancing Local Expertise for Sustainable Development: UENR's Role in the EPIC Africa Project
In the face of climate change and growing demands for resources, the need for innovative and integrated approaches to resource management has never been more urgent. The EPIC Africa project seeks to address one of the most pressing challenges of our time – the delicate balance between water, energy, and food resources in Sub-Saharan Africa. At the heart of this ambitious endeavor is the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), playing a pivotal role in Work Package 6: Enhancing Local Expertise on the Water-Energy-Food Nexus in Africa…
Professor Viktoria Martin and Shravan Kumar, KTH
Date: Tuesday, 11th July 2023
Modeling for insights – WEF interactions in the Volta and Tana River basins
The EPIC Africa project develops and makes available a fully open-source model for integrated assessment of synergies and trade-offs between resources systems water-energy-food in the Volta and Tana River basins (WP4). Through this mathematical model, the implications of different policy and development options can be quantified with a long-term perspective, until 2060. However, modeling is not done for “answers”, but rather a key method for providing knowledge and understanding of plausible effects so that better-informed decisions can be made.
River basins with hydropower not only have the opportunity to provide affordable, renewable electricity generation but also provide multi-purpose benefits such as flood control and irrigation if properly managed. However, climate change could likely lead to reduced water availability for hydropower generation, while floods may be more prominent in these regions.
Author: Volta Basin Authority
Date: Monday, 26th June 2023
VBA in the Nexus Processus
The Volta Basin is located in West Africa between latitudes 5° 30′ N and 14° 30′ N and longitudes 2° 00”E and 5° 30”W. It is the 9th largest river basin in sub-Saharan Africa, covering an area of around 400,000 km2. Its resources are shared between six countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Togo. Its four main sub-basins are
- The Volta Noire, which rises as the Mouhoun in Burkina Faso and drains part of Côte d’Ivoire and Mali;
- The Volta Blanche, which rises as the Nakanbé in Burkina Faso;
- The Oti, which rises as the Pendjari in Benin and flows through Togo;
The Lower Volta. It is made up of several rivers that flow directly into the Lac d’Akosombo (created by the Akosombo dam) and into the river downstream of the Kpong dam towards the sea.
The Volta Noire, Volta Blanche…
Author: KALRO-EPIC Africa Project Team
Date: Monday, 12th June 2023
ENERGY PLANNING AND MODELLING THROUGH INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT OF CLIMATE LAND ENERGY WATER NEXUS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA (EPIC Africa) Project Blog
In the dynamic world of agriculture, access to accurate data and tools is crucial for making informed decisions. The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) is leading the way in empowering farmers with innovative solutions. In this blog post, we will explore two game-changing tools developed by KALRO: The Kenya Agricultural Observation Platform (KAOP) and the KALRO Crop Selector. Together, these tools transform agricultural decision-making in Kenya, enabling farmers to make informed choices about crop selection and optimize their farming practices…
Author: Dr Edo Abraham, Associate Professor of Water & Control, TU Delft
Date: Sunday, 11th June 2023
Balancing water, food and energy to drive sustainable development
The EPIC Africa project, which I am so proud to be part of and coordinate from TU Delft, focuses on improving water management and energy planning in Sub-Saharan Africa. Our goal is to optimize the utilization of scarce water and land resources by employing climate-land-energy-water resources and infrastructure data, mathematical models, and fostering cooperation between countries and sectors. Water is vital for drinking, sanitation, agriculture, and energy generation, and it’s concerning to see its availability increasingly threatened by climate change while demand continues to rise. I strongly emphasize that poor water management can hinder a country’s economic development and even lead to conflict between different sectors and users…
Author: Gilbert Mwangi
Date: Tuesday, 16h May 2023
Supporting Sustainable Development in Africa through EPIC Project
Africa is a continent rich in natural resources, but also facing many challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, water scarcity, and energy poverty. To address these issues, integrated planning and management of water, energy, and food systems is essential. However, such planning requires reliable and accessible data on the availability and use of these resources, as well as their interactions and impacts.
That’s why TAHMO (Trans-African Hydro-Meteorological Observatory) is proud to be part of the EPIC Africa project, a research initiative funded by the Horizon Europe program…
Author: VITO
Date: Tuesday, 2nd May 2023
Navigating transformational change for the Water-Energy-Food Nexus in Africa
The Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus is an important concept that recognizes the interdependencies between the water, energy, and food system. In Africa, the WEF nexus is particularly relevant because the continent faces challenges regarding food security, access to modern energy services, and water resource management. What’s more, all these challenges stand to be exacerbated by the impacts of climate change. Governing the interconnections between these systems in a sustainable way is therefore a critical challenge facing many regions, including the Volta and Tana River basins…
