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AFTER SHOWING some signs of progress, Africa is backsliding in its efforts to meet energy needs of its population. More Africans live without electricity and clean cooking fuel now than a decade ago (see 'Left behind'). In subSaharan Africa, which is home to some of the world's poorest countries, every other person (566 million) lacks access to electricity and 82 per cent (933.5 million) prepare meals with polluting fuel. This is at a time when most other regions are on track to achieve universal access to clean energy as part of the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 7. In North Africa and West Asia, 92.6 per cent of the people have access to clean fuel and technology, shows an estimate by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its report, "Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report, 2022"; globally, the figure is 71.1 per cent.
The IEA report further states that sub-Saharan Africa's share in the global population without electricity has risen to 84 per cent from 50 per cent a decade ago; and its share in global population without clean cooking fuel has increased to 41 per cent from 25 per cent. If governments respond ineptly, warns the UN, over 1.1 billion people in the region could be without clean fuels by 2030.
Such a high level of energy poverty has ripple effects on people's everyday lives; it impacts health, shrinks livelihood options, impedes economic growth and makes access to education nearly impossible. More than that, it creates a trap that keeps countries underdeveloped and people poor. This is already playing out in sub-Saharan Africa.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 01, 2023-Ausgabe von Down To Earth.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 01, 2023-Ausgabe von Down To Earth.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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TERMITE TRAP
A common tall grass variety provides a chemical-free option to control termites, highlights the need for mainstreaming local ecological knowledge
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CLIMATE'S UNSOLICITED PAYOUT
Rising weather extremes is destabilising the insurance industry, driving up premium prices and pushing insurers out of high-risk markets. The crisis is also spurring re-invention of insurance sector.
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NOTHING PSEUDO ABOUT IT
The fibre-rich banana pseudo-stem is a treasure trove of minerals and health benefits
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Organic move
After 10,000 farmers in Dantewada district secured Chhattisgarh's first organic certification, the entire district now gears up to transition fully to organic farming
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No more a rarity
What has caused widespread outbreak of the rare Guillain-Barré syndrome cases from seven states of the country?
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DeepSeek AI model is a sobering idea for India
The Chinese artificial intelligence breakthrough reveals how far behind India is in the race for technological prowess
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'Fragile terrain not the cause of tunnel collapse but an excuse'
In November 2023, the under-construction Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand collapsed, trapping 41 workers under the rubble. The rescue operation in the 4.5 km tunnel lasted 17 days and involved multiple teams. Australian geologist ARNOLD DIX, who is also the president of Switzerland-based International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association, as well as an engineer, a barrister and a farmer, assisted in the mission at India's request. Dix has now written a book on the incident. In an interview with ADITYA MISRA, Dix says the mishap was a failure to adapt construction methods to the rock conditions encountered. Excerpts:
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BUDGET SQUEEZE
Poised to woo the middle class and tame fiscal deficit, Union Budget 2025-26 cuts corners on key welfare schemes, offers little for climate adaptation and decarbonisation
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Decoded script
Genomelndia project creates genomic sequence database of 10,000 Indians, moving a step forward in disease detection and treatment
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Introduce layers in poverty measurement
This is with reference to the article \"Convenience of poverty lines\" (16-31 January, 2025). Poverty is not like atmospheric pressure, which can be scaled down with high-precision instruments. It is a matter of deprivation. Poverty is also highly misunderstood. At one extreme, poverty means no food, no clothes, bad health and inadequate shelters; in essence a dearth in common and customary amenities. One can recognise this poverty. But, even if a person's conditions are only a notch above this level, their situation slides through the slick fingers of all the measurement of figures and wielders of statistics.