13 mai 2014 00:00

Side Event at the Africa Utility Week // "Will Water Constrain Africa's Energy Future?",

The World Bank will present its global initiative Thirsty Energy at the forthcoming African Utility Week on 13 and 14 May in Cape Town, South Africa. With the Thirsty Energy initiative, the World Bank aims to address and raise awareness about the interdependence of energy and water development and the growing challenges it poses for countries in the decades to come.

"We hope to ensure that African governments as well as the private sector are aware of the interdependencies and foreseeable pressure on water as a resource for energy generation," says Diego Rodriguez, Senior Economist at The World Bank. "African Utility Week provides an invaluable opportunity to present Thirsty Energy to the institutions responsible for planning and investing in water and energy security and to welcome new partners to the initiative. Significant amounts of water are needed in almost all energy generation processes, from generating hydropower, to cooling and other purposes in thermal power plants, to extracting and processing fuels. Conversely, the water sector needs energy to extract, treat and transport water. Both energy and water are used in the production of crops, including those used to generate energy through biofuels. Population growth and rapidly-expanding economies place additional demands on water and energy, while several regions around the world are already experiencing significant water and energy shortages. The panel will feature World Bank Senior Economist Diego J. Rodriguez. Mr. Rodriguez will be available for media interviews by contacting SÃ¶ren Bauer. Time: 13.30 h Venue: CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa Contact: SÃ¶ren Bauer, {s.bauer@pr-audit.com}, Tel.: +27 (0)79 288 37 67 More information: {www.worldbank.org/thirstyenergy|Website "thirsty energy"}