South Africa Conference & Workshop
Protea Hotel, Wonderes, Illovo, Johannesburg 28 - 30 Janurary 2010

Presenter Biographies

DR HELEN WATSON

CURRICULUM VITAE

Dr Helen Watson obtained all four of her degrees from the former universities of the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa, where she has also lectured since 1980. Her research and teaching has focused on the use of remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems to assess the effects of land use practices, and to determine land capability potential in sub Saharan Africa. She was the regional coordinator of the European Commission INCO project “Southern African Savannas Network” (www.savannas.net) which evaluated threats to and opportunities for sustainability posed by a wide range of policies and practices in the savannas of four case study countries. She was the principal researcher of the “Agriculture” work package of the “Cane Resources Network for Southern Africa” (www.carensa.net). Also an INCO project, CARENSA evaluated how bioenergy from sugarcane and sweet sorghum could contribute to the sustainable development and global competitiveness of southern Africa. She was coordinator of “Current Land Use Patterns and Impacts” work package on the INCO project “Competence Platform on Energy Crop & Agroforestry Systems for Arid and Semi-arid Ecosystems – Africa” (www.compete-bioafrica.net). COMPETE seeks to enhance the sustainable use of renewable natural resources and stimulate bioenergy implementation in the semi arid and arid regions of sub Saharan Africa. Using eight study countries in west, east and southern Africa, her work involved identifying land in these regions where intensification of, or conversion to bioenergy use, will not have detrimental environmental and/or socio-economic impacts.

DESCRIPTION OF PRESENTATION

Topic

Biofuels Feedstock Production in Africa – the Land Issue

Brief Description
The three year INCO project “Competence Platform on Energy Crop & Agroforestry Systems for Arid and Semi-arid Ecosystems – Africa” (www.compete-bioafrica.net) which has just been concluded, sought to enhance the sustainable use of renewable natural resources and to stimulate bioenergy implementation in the arid and semi- arid regions of sub Saharan Africa. COMPETE produced policy guidelines on (a) avoiding the potential conflict between food and bioenergy production, (b) value creation of bioenergy development, and (c) financing and implementing bioenergy projects in Africa. The work described in this presentation was part of the COMPETE project. Its principal objective was to identify land in the arid and semi- arid regions of sub Saharan Africa where intensification of, or conversion to bioenergy use, will not have detrimental environmental and/or socio-economic impacts. Geographic Information Systems were used to interrogate a wide range of data sources. Case studies were made of eight countries. In order to avoid detrimental impacts on biodiversity, all categories of protected areas, closed canopy forests and wetlands were designated as unavailable for bioenergy crop production and filtered out. To avoid food security concerns areas already used for food crops, cash crops and tree crops were also filtered out as unavailable for bioenergy crop production. Lastly, areas with terrain, substrate, and climate unsuitable for bioenergy crop production were filtered out.

The areas identified as available and suitable for bioenergy crop production in the eight case study countries are presented in Table 1 below. Arid regions are not represented in Tanzania and Zambia. In the other six countries they range from covering 1.9 to 39.7 percent of the country in the case of Burkino Faso and Kenya, respectively. While none of Burkino Faso’s arid region and less than a third of Mali’s arid region is potentially available and suitable for biofuel crop production, the greater proportion of this region in Senegal, Kenya, Botswana and South Africa is potentially amenable for such production. Semi- arid regions are represented in all eight countries and range from covering 19.8 to 78.0 percent of the country in the case of Mali and Botswana, respectively. The potential for biofuel crop production is least favourable in this region in the West African countries, and most favourable in Kenya and South Africa. Considering available and suitable areas in both the arid and semi-arid regions, South Africa clearly has the greatest potential to accelerate bioenergy crop production. Its potential is 1.9, 2.5, 3.7 and 4.9 times that of Kenya, Botswana, Mali, and Tanzania, respectively.

SLIDES FROM PRESENTATION

REFERENCES

• Watson, H.K. 2009: Understanding traditional and modern land use dynamics in the African context, UKZN COMPETE Deliverable 1.5 to WIP- Renewable Energies, 21 pp., www.compete-bioafrica.net.
• Watson, H.K. 2009: Policy guidance note on integrating traditional land use and products into bioenergy policy, UKZN COMPETE Deliverable 1.3 to WIP- Renewable Energies, 3 pp., www.compete-bioafrica.net.
• Wicke, B., van Eijk, J., Smeets, E., Faaij, A. and Watson, H.K. 2009: Potential contribution of modern bioenergy to sustainable energy supply, Copernicus Institute, Utrecht University COMPETE Deliverable 2.3 to WIP- Renewable Energies, 55 pp., www.compete-bioafrica.net.
• Watson, H.K., 2008: Biofuels in Africa – The Land Use Issue, Proceedings COMPETE International Workshop on Bioenergy Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa, November, Bamako, Mali, www.compete-bioafrica.net.
• Watson, H.K., 2008: Second Task Report on WP1 Current Land Use Patterns and Impacts, UKZN COMPETE Report to WIP- Renewable Energies, 56 pp. and 3 appendices, www.compete-bioafrica.net
• Sobey, R. and Watson, H.K., 2008: An investigation into the biofuel potential of two trees indigenous to southern Africa, COMPETE Newsletter No. 2, www.compete-bioafrica.net
• Watson, H.K., 2007: First Task Report on WP1 Current Land Use Patterns and Impacts, UKZN COMPETE Report to WIP- Renewable Energies, 103 pp. and 10 appendices, www.compete-bioafrica.net
• Watson, H.K., 2007: Potential to Expand Sugarcane cultivation in Southern Africa – An Assessment of Suitable and Available Land, Proceedings of COMPETE Workshop on Improved Energy Crop and Agroforestry Systems for Sustainable Development in Africa  June, Le Reduit, www.compete-bioafrica.net.

RELATED PROJECTS AND SUCCESS STORIES

Involvement in Similar Projects

• “Southern African Savannas Network” (www.savannas.net)
• “Cane Resources Network for Southern Africa” (www.carensa.net)
• “Competence Platform on Energy Crop & Agroforestry Systems for Arid and Semi- arid Ecosystems – Africa” (www.compete-bioafrica.net).

Success Stories

My students have completed the following bioenergy related dissertations:-

• Mudede, E.Z. 2010: Identifying optimal locations for large scale Jatropha cultivation for biodiesel production in Tanzania’s semi-arid regions, UKZN.
• Sibanda, D.P. 2009: A land suitability assessment for sweet sorghum and sugar cane cultivation in Zimbabwe – Bioenergy Implications, UKZN.
• Ackbar, L.S. 2008: A land suitability assessment for sugar cane cultivation in Angola – Bioenergy Implications, UKZN.
• Baijnath, S. 2006: Identification of areas suitable for sugar cane cultivation in southern Africa – Ethanol production implications, UKZN.