Avoiding ecological sustainable development trade-offs with renewable energy in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

This dissertation study seeks to understand the challenge of balancing economic growth, social wellbeing, and environmental sustainability. It looks at how most nations in subSaharan Africa (SSA) are governed by traditional economic models of using various types of capital, technological, and natural methods to produce goods and services to achieve economic growth, improved living conditions and social well-being without considering the environmental degradation and several social challenges that SSA is confronted with because of these traditional economic models. The selected case study countries: Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda whose major economic activities include energy generation, agriculture, and mining, are analysed in this dissertation, using green growth and ecological sustainable development principles to enhance sustainable energy development, resource efficiency and a balanced ecosystem in SSA by addressing two research questions. To evaluate how unsustainable mining, energy production and agricultural activities may lead to environmental degradation and climate change and suggest resource optimisation solutions, Article 1 and Article 2 address the first research question: How can SSA countries produce, distribute, and consume their resources more optimally and sustainably as they aspire to attain economic development through major economic activities, like agriculture, mining, and energy development? The first research article evaluates by redressing the hydro-dependency syndrome and improving energy security with solar-hydro generationmix strategy, energy efficiency, promoting net-zero carbon technologies and reducing the associated environmental impacts. The second article shows how human activities such as agriculture and land use may impact ecological systems and offset economic development. Policymakers can emphasise addressing energy, water, food, land and community issues such as population growth, in a more integrated manner. Integrated models can help vi optimise resources, generate focused decisions, actions, investments, and policies that combat nexus pressures and promote ecological sustainable development. To resolve the prevalent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and develop an appropriate model for climate action, Article 3 addresses the second research question: Which climate change abatement strategy is appropriate for sustainable energy development and sustainability? The third article provides a quantitative study, focused on developing green information technology system (Green ITS) approaches as an abatement strategy of protecting the environment from climate-related disasters that are exacerbated by human activities like energy generation, mining, and manufacturing. The significant contribution of this dissertation to the renewable energy field is the development of a resource optimisation framework for green economies. This framework can provide a socio-economic and socio-technical roadmap and optimisation model for SSA countries to achieve economic growth (SDG 8), sustainable energy development (SDG 7) without compromising ecological sustainable development (SDG 15) as they transition towards green economies, alongside the Green ITS abatement approaches for climate action (SDG 13).