Re-impact: forest based bioenergy for sustainable development in developing countries

Abstract

Re-Impact "Rural Energy Production from Bioenergy Projects" is a project funded by the European Union Aid Cooperation office which is promoting a sustainability assessment framework for bioenergy projects focussed on rural development in developing countries. The project has case studies in China, India, Uganda and South Africa. This paper provides an overview of the analysis of regional bioenergy policies in the case studies. In China the focus of attention has been the transition to modern biomass in Yunnan Province, looking both at Jatropha and forest; in India, the implementation of the biofuels strategy in the State of Chhattisgarh; in South Africa, the potential for biofuels in the SADC region; and in Uganda the potential for biomass power plants based on short rotation plantations. The case studies show the need for more evidence-base policies that take into account land use and equity issues in rural development. Bioenergy projects need to be based on sound management models with technical and economic viability