Climate change is starting to affect all areas of the world, but Africa is extraordinarily vulnerable to some of the most destructive and harmful consequences like floods, forest fires, or dry periods. In addition to finding approaches to cope with these catastrophes, we must also focus on preventing further aggravation of the climate crisis. Africa has immense potential when it comes to renewable energy, green technology, and solutions to build a better future for coming generations. We are interested in looking into and testing new, innovative strategies for these goals, as well as finding new areas of application for established technologies.

Fossil-fuel-based energy production has been the number one source of electricity in Africa, despite enormous renewable energy resources. Intensifying efforts to use these sources would not only be invaluable for providing a greener future for our children but also for creating jobs for skilled workers and placing Africa at the forefront of green energy technology. Generally, producing energy locally and providing access to energy is fundamental to fighting poverty and promoting economic growth. Solar energy should be on the priority list, given that Africa receives the most sunlight of all continents and therefore has the greatest solar power resources. Africa has the capability of producing wind energy as well, given that the continent has a large coastline. A major advantage of using both solar and wind power is that both are highly scalable. It can provide energy to single households or small villages, but can also be upgraded to extensive installations. There are other energy sources such as geothermal power, hydropower, and tidal power that are constantly advancing and Africa should harness their utility.

Other than producing clean energy, it is also of utmost importance to cut energy consumption. Climate solutions should also look at reducing emissions by using technology such as artificial intelligence to improve the management and processing of sustainably produced energy. Furthermore, developing products that use less energy or systems that distribute energy more intelligently has great significance. Examples of these products are phones or cameras with solar-powered batteries that have the additional advantage of the capability to be charged independent of electricity sources in houses. Another Interesting idea is the development of electronics from recycled and sustainable materials or electronics that use less energy than conventional models. Technology can also help to make farming and agriculture more sustainable. Improving farming processes can not only aid in making less climate impact but, in addition, secure food supply, provide stable markets, and minimize pollution and accumulation of waste. If you are interested in this topic, please also take a look at our Geodata for Africa Project.

There are numerous other parts of our daily lives that can be improved upon via the use of green technology while saving our planet. These include eco-friendly homes, public buildings and public spaces, transportation, and recycling. There are endless possibilities to provide a brighter future using Engineering and Physical Sciences, and we hope you want to be a part of this future.

We want to use our research, connections, and the ideas of our members to look into a greener more sustainable future. If you want to take part in one of our projects or start your own, please contact us at e&p@researchawakeafricainitiative.org.

The African Geodata Project is a multi-stage project, which aims to implement advanced monitoring technologies in farming and agriculture in some of the most remote parts of Africa to boost investor confidence in the Agricultural sector. Actionable intelligence generated from complex advanced algorithms running on georeferenced data can be used to significantly improve agricultural investment outcomes, enhance yields, and directly tackle food shortages and create employment. Advanced stages of the project will include a complete technology transfer; training of locals to independently run surveillance, monitoring, and analyses. Read More