ABSTRACT
Zambia, like many Southern African countries, has been hit with the worst energy crisis so far characterised by country-wide blackouts and prolonged load shedding hours. A crisis of this magnitude provides an opportunity to re-strategise and effect energy solutions that will ensure secure energy supply for sustainable development. This paper examines sustainability of Zambia’s energy supply by considering how degradation and the impact of climate change on renewable resources could potentially compromise energy security, now and in the future. The paper is based on a review of electronically available literature on policy and the energy sector, journal publications and theses. The review shows that Zambia’s solutions to energy deficits are mainly based on renewable energy sources including biomass, hydro, solar and geothermal energies. The ability of biomass (forest) and hydro energy sources to renew is compromised by over-exploitation and climate change. Over-exploitation degrades forests and reduces the ability of forests to sustain fuelwood supply. Climate change, on the other hand, affects the availability of water resources for generating sufficient electricity to meet demand. Because biomass and hydropower constitute over 80 per cent of Zambia’s energy needs, the energy sector remains vulnerable to deficits in times of droughts and continued forest degradation. Alternative energy sources are recommended to replace and reduce the energy share of vulnerable energy sources.
