SPARKNET has twelve member organisations from nine countries, it is coordinated by ITDG and is the first formal Knowledge Network on Sustainable household energy in Southern and Eastern Africa.
The project partners are aiming to assemble and disseminate (through an interactive Internet-based knowledge network) up-to-date knowledge (information, scenario analysis and policy assessment) on the low-income household energy situation in seven partner countries in East and Southern Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa) as well as relevant donor-aid policy in three European Union (EU) countries (UK, Germany, and The Netherlands) and at an EU level.
The project is a thematic network launched in January 2002. Key themes include
- household energy and health
- household energy and gender
- household energy and forestry.
The first phase of SPARKNET will last until December 2004. In this first phase project partners will compare and contrast the prevailing rural household energy situation in each country in order to highlight policy options and innovation opportunities. A knowledge bank on key actors and projects will be developed to identify the effects of current policies and to stimulate debate about best practices and alternative approaches. SPARKNET will then develop rapid scenarios for each country and lead debate about these alternatives. Policy options will then follow. Two international Internet-conferences will be held to assist with the dissemination of the results. [authors]