Desta Mebratu

Africa is currently recognized as the fastest growing region in the world while a number of African countries are listed amongst the fastest growing economies in the region over the last decade.

Human history over the millennia has been shaped by major social transformation processes.

Centre for Complex Systems in Transition of Stellenbosch University and the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics of Lund University are currently developing a regional project on Distributed Renewable Economy for Africa’s Transformation.

The need for transformational change in national development efforts received unprecedented global consensus and support in 2015 resulting in the adoption of Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the signing of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

We are continuously witnessing a confluence of socio-economic and social-ecological crisis manifested in the form of growing environmental degradation, persistent economic stagnation, increasing unemployement and growing disparities between and within countries.

The infrastructure deficit in Africa is estimated to be $130-170 billion per year according to newly revised figures from the African Development Bank.