The greatest barrier to tracking the deployment of renewable energy in South Africa is the lack of good data on household biomass consumption. Biomass production and use reported by government statistics varies widely from year to year, largely because there is no authoritative primary data source. Even the 1998 energy balance, probably the most thorough to date, relies on a 1996 Biomass Initiative report from the DME for the biomass consumption estimates, and these data would have been based on data from earlier years (Williams et al. 1996; Pouris 2001). The data used here have been taken from the DME energy balance, therefore, taking into account earlier biomass studies (1996).

Even if we knew total biomass production and consumption, however, it is not clear how much of this is 'sustainable' - in other words, how much is sustainably harvested. The level of uncertainty about land-use change, such as deforestation, impacts on South Africa's greenhouse gas emissions, for example, is high. There are no reliable estimates from government on the net changes in fuelwood stocks (Williams 2001).

For this indicator to be a useful reflection of South African energy development, and for government to have any understanding of the impact of national policy on the poor, rural populations that still depend heavily on biomass, more systematic data collection and analysis is urgently needed. For countries such as South Africa to push for renewable energy development without a major emphasis on the sustainable and efficient use of local biomass resources would be an expensive, and possibly inequitable, strategy for sustainable development.

Notes to SEW or next year's Observer-Reporter:

The reporter should consult the DME and the consultant who does the energy balances (Dr A Pouris) to see if any additional research on biomass is available.