Sub-Saharan Africa: Moving Towards an Energy Transition? An Investigation into the Coevolution of Urban Expansion and Energy Systems

Sub-Saharan Africa is currently the region most economically affected by climate change while contributing the least to it. In the background of a comprehensive restructuring of the built environment towards an energy transition to renewable sources, the region has emerged as a testing ground for new approaches. This paper explores the ongoing urban expansion, driven by the population increase, and the sociotechnical dimension of energy pathways in a Sub-Saharan African city, Lusaka (Zambia), subjected to urban dynamics which resonate in other cities in the region. For this purpose, a judgmental sampling was adopted for in-depth semi-structured interviews with relevant Zambian experts in national or local governmental agencies, departments, or ministries. Results outlined the direct link between urban expansion and energy challenges in Lusaka. Although the Zambian government is actively supporting sustainable urban development through a multiplicity of policies and actions, the current over-dependency on hydropower hinders an adequate response to the rising housing demand and new dwellers’ energy needs. The city’s current high electricity demand significantly challenges the national grid, increasing load sheddings. Against this background, experts advocate solar power generation as a sustainable response to rising energy needs. This study approaches the dynamic interlinks of urban expansion and energy systems to understand to what extent these transitional interactions—situated in a particular location and moment—are moving Lusaka’s urban growth towards carbon neutrality.

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