The Energy Access Situation in Developing Countries: Ang on the Least Developed Countries and Sub-Saharan Africa Review Focusi
Energy is arguably one of themajor challenges the world faces today, touching all aspects of our lives. For those living in extreme poverty, a lack of access to modern energy services dramatically affects health, limits opportunities and widens the gap between the haves and have nots. The vulnerability of the poor is only worsened with recent challenges fromclimate change, a global ynancial crisis, and volatile energy prices. This reportwas commissioned to begin bridging this gap, especially for the LeastDeveloped Countries (LDCs) and sub-Saharan Africa,where energy access is especially constrained. In addition to compiling statistics from countries on access to electricity andmodern fuels, as well as drawing on the forthcoming WHO Household Energy database and the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook 2009, this report supplements existingglobal reportswithavailable statistics (which, insome cases, are sorely lacking) on fuel types, improved stoves used for cooking, and mechanical power. It summarises aswell the latest evidence on the health impacts attributable to indoor air pollution resulting from household use of solid fuels for cooking and heating. It also estimates the number of additional people that would have to gain access to modern energy services by 2015 under different scenarios, including scenarios that are compatible with eeting national targets and the MDGs and are disaggregated for LDCs and sub-Saharan Africa.
