<h3>Introduction</h3>
As the world seeks to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, policymakers and private sector actors prioritize decarbonizing the energy sector. However, they often overlook the potential impacts of climate risks on energy infrastructure. Extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, cyclones, and flooding, increasingly damage energy systems and disrupt operations. Access to reliable energy is crucial for daily life to maintain energy services, especially during natural disasters when early warning systems, hospitals and finance services, and public systems. may not be accessible. To reduce the impact of climate risks, resilience building and adaptive capacities are necessary for the power sector. Deploying energy systems in current climate conditions won't stand in the next 20 years. Therefore, building resilience for the power sector and enhancing its coping and adaptive capacities will help reduce the impact of climate risks impacts. This article explores strategies for building resilience, including diversifying the power supply and relying on clean energy sources. By prioritizing resilience, energy businesses, operators, and investors can mitigate risks and ensure a climate resilient future.&nbsp; 
<h3>Introduction &ndash; Understanding the Resilience of Energy Systems</h3>
Increasing climate change and natural hazards pose severe risks to energy systems and the people they serve. Disruptions to power system operations can have detrimental effects on economic conditions and access to critical services such as health and financial services. Extreme weather events, affecting both developed and developing countries, can cause power outages and dysfunctionality of crucial services. Access to reliable energy in Africa is critical to sustainable and inclusive economic growth, underpinning livelihoods and contributing to people stepping out of poverty. Energy system resilience is access to quality power from systems capable of absorbing climate shocks and changes, including climate-induced supply disruptions (e.g., hydropower assets damaged by flooding) and demand shocks and changes (e.g., consumption increases driven by heat waves) (Mckinsey, 2021).
Energy systems comprise three main parts: generation, transmission, and distribution. The generation might include producing electric power from fossil fuels, renewables, or other sources. Transmission is the movement of electricity from generating sites to electric substations at a high voltage; distribution is power delivery to final users at a low voltage. Access to reliable power is critical for people's resilience to access essential services and generate income, households (e.g., cooling systems), businesses (e.g., manufacturers), and public administration (e.g., early warning systems).&nbsp;
Identifying climate risks is crucial to minimize the impact of climate hazards on the energy system. Extreme heat reduces system performance, lowers solar and hydropower efficiency, and increases power losses during transmission. Heatwaves can decrease solar PV efficiency by 0.1-0.5% for every additional 1&deg;C, and high voltage transmissions and lines can experience a 0.5-1% efficiency loss. Cold spells can damage wind turbines, and flooding over 0.6m can disrupt power generation and cause structural damage to assets and power lines. Earthquakes can destroy substations and transmission and distribution lines, while wildfires can damage T&amp;D lines and be triggered by poorly maintained power. (World Bank, 2019; U.S. DoE, 2019)
<h3>Energy in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities </h3>
Climate hazards pose significant challenges for energy investment and finance in Africa. Despite this, the region has heavily invested in fossil fuels, with 70% of energy investment going to oil and gas projects between 2015 to 2019. However, to meet growing domestic demand, two-thirds of investment is expected to be in clean energy by 2030, necessitating fundamental changes in energy infrastructure financing.
Heavy reliance on fossil fuels makes Africa vulnerable to price fluctuations and supply chain disruptions. Energy subsidies also burden the government and limit potential private sector investment. Achieving universal access to energy requires significant investment, estimated at USD 35 billion per year to maintain the 1.5&deg;C pathway (IRENA, 2023). Renewables grew by 3300 MW in 2022, with 80% of the growth occurring in Asia, Europe, and North America. Africa accounted for only 1% of the growth, highlighting the need for increased investment in the continent. Renewable energy transition in Africa shows promise, with 12 countries committing to net-zero emissions by 2050. However, more investment and international support are necessary, with vital national institutions playing a significant role. The measures taken could mobilize USD 400 bn annually in clean energy and sustainable recovery investments during the 2021-2023 period. Yet, this only represents 40% of the investment required in the IEA's Sustainable Recovery Plan towards global net-zero emissions by 2050. (African Energy Outlook, 2022). Africa's temperature has steadily risen over the past century and is expected to increase faster than the global average (IPCC, 2014b). If GHG emissions continue on a high path (RCP 8.5), temperatures in Africa could exceed 4&deg;C by 2100 (IPCC, 2014c). Hot days will likely increase in most African countries, with some areas already experiencing temperatures more than 1&deg;C above the average of 1981-2010 (WMO, 2020). This could reduce hydropower generation due to increased evaporation from reservoirs. Clean power sources like hydropower are vulnerable to changing precipitation patterns and temperatures. As a result, a heavier reliance on hydropower could increase the likelihood of exposure to climate hazards. In Africa, hydropower accounts for an average of 17% of electricity generation and exceeds 80% in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia(IEA, 2019a, b ; International Hydropower &amp; Dams, 2019). Changing precipitation patterns can worsen climate impacts in Africa. Southern Africa, where hydropower accounts for over 20% of the regional power pool's electricity, could face power shortages due to recurring droughts in the coming decades (Kuo, 2016). Some southern African countries already received below-average rainfall (WMO, 2020). Meanwhile, in East Africa, wetter weather with more heavy precipitation may disrupt hydropower management, increasing uncertainty in power generation (IPCC, 2014c). Tailored measures will be necessary for each country to cope with these changes.
These changes affect the entire energy supply chain from resource extraction to distribution.
<h3>Building energy resilience: Coping and adaptive capacities in Africa.</h3>
In September 2022, the African Ministers of Finance and Environment, along with the International Cooperation Forum, discussed the importance of green transformation in Africa to achieve a climate-resilient future. They emphasized the need for equitable sharing of costs and benefits of the low-carbon transition and the development of national and local policies to build community resilience. Building resilient energy systems in Africa is key for economic growth and social development. It also provides the opportunity to generate rare earth metals for clean energy technologies, contributing to GDP growth and job creation. The following are key activities to achieve resilient energy systems in Africa: - Access to resilient power through off-grid solutions, grid extension, and power supply diversification. This allows for the provision of essential services, improves livelihoods, and reduces interruptions during natural hazards. Morocco has created diversification plans, and regional interconnections can reduce risks, although they can also increase exposure to weather-related disruptions. - Upgrading infrastructure projects, monitoring, and operations. Protecting at-risk system infrastructure against hazards through asset hardening, planning, and analytics is essential. This can include expanding hydro reservoir capacity and building upstream sediment control facilities to withstand climate risks to provide power during and after climate hazards. It can also involve using drones for improved infrastructure monitoring and putting particularly vulnerable power lines underground.&nbsp; - Developing flexible and responsive systems with sufficient redundancy, including diversified and distributed energy particularly PVs, storage, and smart grid technologies. This will enable the system to cope with demand surges due to climate hazards and supply disruptions due to damage from climate hazards, increase competitiveness, production, and employment, and improve livelihoods.
- Developing climate projections and early risks assessment tools, which is increasingly prioritized by national governments and international development agencies. Climate resilience efforts need information and projections about the future impacts of climate change, which can be provided through data portals and analysis tools.
- Access to finance for renewable energy, which is essential for investment in climate adaptation. Technical assistance grants can be used to support adaptation planning and strategy, climate data assessment expertise in public bodies, and pilot or commercial projects. Identifying risks will mobilize necessary funds and harness new sources of financing. Priority should be given to increasing the effectiveness of the use of public capital to improve the use of private capital.
<hr>
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