Page - 8 - in Clean Water Using Solar and Wind - Outside the Power Grid

8 Clean Water Using Solar and Wind: Outside the Power Grid The message from World Bank (2017) is clear: “In many countries with low levels of electrification access, both grid and off-grid solutions are vital for achieving universal electricity access – but they must be supported by an enabling environment with the right policies,  institutions, strategic planning, regulations, and incentives.” Access to electric power is extremely important for access to clean water. For people living in remote and rural areas or in rapidly expanding peri-urban areas in poor regions of the world, power grids are out of reach. They cannot wait for conventional electric networks to be completed to solve their water supply or sanitary challenges. 1.4 DECOUPLING WATER FROM ENERGY WITH RENEWABLES The close dependency between water, energy and food, the water- energy-food nexus, has been recognised for a long time. In my previous book (Olsson, 2015) the couplings and their consequences are described in detail. This book will show how renewable energy in combination with decentralised water operations can decouple many of these dependencies and meet challenges caused by climate change, population increase, water scarcity and poor water quality. 1.4.1 Renewable energy water footprint Renewable energy can improve energy and water security. The energy sector relies heavily on water for energy extraction and production, accounting for 15% of water withdrawals globally. In a water- constrained world, conflicts with other end uses, such as agriculture, are intensifying and further impacted by climate change. With access to water increasingly recognised as a risk for energy security, it is becoming necessary to decouple energy sector expansion from water use. Water is needed for fossil fuel extraction, transport and processing. Conventional thermal power plants, like nuclear, natural gas or coal, The annual electric power production in sub-Saharan Africa is more than six times lower than the global average and almost 17 times lower than the OECD average. Downloaded from https://iwaponline.com/ebooks/book-pdf/520710/wio9781780409443.pdf by IWA Publishing user