A review of sustainable planning of Burundian energy sector in East Africa

Abstract

The East African Community EAC (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan) is still challenged by energy poverty for its socio-economic development. A continuous and fast growing energy demand is expected in this region due to varied factors, such as; high population growth-rate, building sector that is rapidly expanding and exploration of untapped minerals. Based on previous published research on various energy planning strategies in EAC, all the countries, apart from Burundi, have made some efforts in planning for their energy sector. Therefore, there is a need for a robust planning in this region in order to sustain its future energy sector. A particular emphasis is made on Burundi due to its poor energy access with a highest dependence on traditional use of biomass energy in the region. Hence, this article aimed at identifying the status and gaps of sustainable planning of Burundian energy sector in EAC. Different tools/models applied in energy planning are also reviewed. The reviewed tools can help the Burundian decision makers in energy policy formulation on how available energy resources would be planned. The use of Multi-Criteria Decision making is recommended in order to consider all sustainable dimensions in energy planning. In addition, the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) model would be an interesting tool due to its suitability to model total future energy demand especially where data would be a limitation.

Keywords

• Energy planning
• Multi-criteria decision making
• Sustainable energy