Evaluation of Energy Sources Capable of Drought/Famine Abatement in an African Village

With the extreme drought attacking the Horn of Africa continuously for the past few years, more than 22 million people are facing famine and are in danger of starvation. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), it is the worst drought occurring in all of East Africa in 60 years. Countries affected by the drought are Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and neighboring countries. In most rural areas, lack of access to sufficient power has aggravated the disastrous conditions. In this investigation, a small East Ethiopian village of 500 inhabitants was analysed to determine the water required for drinking, personal hygiene as well as food production. A sustainable power source was identified and selected for the purpose of powering a water pump as well as providing nightly lighting for this village. Sustainable funding sources were also considered. Total system cost including a wind turbine system, pumps, piping, water storage tank, battery storage system, backup diesel generator and fuel tank as well as the solar lighting system was estimated at about USD 90,000.