Hydropower for me but not for thee

摘要

One of the great divides between the rich and poor worlds is the access to electricity. Consumption of electricity by a standard single-family American refrigerator is ten times the consumption of electricity by the average Ethiopian. An equally great divide is the use of hydropower. In most rich countries, more than 80 per cent of economically feasible hydro-power potential is tapped; in Africa, the comparable figure is less than 5 per cent. Many African countries are, accordingly, giving high priority to developing hydropower as a source of cheap, clean energy. But to tap this energy, they need assistance from external private and public partners. Historically the World Bank and other international finance institutions have played a major role. President Obama's major initiative with Africa 'Power Africa', envisages a major role for hydropower.