| ECOWAS Workshop on sustainable wood energy management, Cotonou, Benin, 9-11 May 2016
The energy access situation in the ECOWAS region continues to be characterised by heavy dependence on traditional biomass and fossil fuels with negative consequences on the environment, health and socio-economic aspects. In view of this, ECREEE with the support of UNDP formulated an elaborate Regional Bioenergy Policy which was validated by ECOWAS Member States in October 2015 in Dakar. Out of this policy, an elaborate Bioenergy Programme is being unrolled to increase access to sustainable energy services through the deployment of sustainability criteria in the production, transformation and utilization of biomass resources without compromising the ecosystem, biodiversity and food security.
ECOWAS Biomass Actions in the form of REDD+ is being implemented by ECREEE as part of the bioenergy programme. As part of the recommendations from one of such activities in Niamey, Niger (Sustainable Management of Forest workshop) in April 2015, ECREEE and GBEP agreed to work in partnership to further the cause of promoting sustainable wood energy management, within a logical collaboration in the context of GBEP Activity Group 4 dedicated to this topic.
The purpose of the workshop was to build synergies, share experiences among the two institutions’ expert groups and to promote modern and sustainable wood energy management by bringing out success stories in various parts of the world.
The 3 day workshop was attended by around 75 participants among national representatives from of the 14 ECOWAS member states, the ECOWAS Commission, UNEP, GIZ, GBEP, FAO, civil society organisations, NGOs, private sectors and research institutions. Among its recommendations, the workshop indicated the need for sub-regional action and coordination of activities by increasing better contacts between countries to share experiences, and the possibility to explore ethanol stove as alternative option to reduce demand for woodfuel and catalogue best practices along the value chains. It also recommended for ECREEE to accelerate the adoption of energy-wood strategy, ensuring the existence of action plans.
All document and outcomes of the workshop are available on the GBEP website
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