Jabke mahazee green-hydrogen infrastructure ka tezi se izhaar hone ke liye tayyar hai, to iska mushkil ye hoga ke ek aur extractive industry banaye bina rahe. African leaders ko apni renewable-energy capacity ko aise badhana hoga ke yeh local communities ke zarurat ko pehle rakhe.
NAIROBI – Namibia ke Tsau Khaeb National Park mein green-hydrogen industry banane ki koshishen shuru ho rahi hain. May mein, Namibia sarkar ne Hyphen Hydrogen Energy ke sath ek green-hydrogen production aur supply project ke liye feasibility aur implementation agreement sign kiya, jo Lüderitz ke qareeb hoga. June mein, sarkar ne is $10 billion ke project mein 24% equity stake lene ka faisla kiya, jiska qeemat Namibia ke GDP ke kareeb hai.
Jab yeh project mukammal tor par operational ho jayega, to iska matwazan hai ke yeh har saal 350,000 metric tons green hydrogen utpann karega aur 3,000 permanent jobs (15,000 temporary construction jobs ke alawa) paida karega. Yeh Namibia ko low-cost green hydrogen ka aham ban sakta hai. Lekin is project ke local value addition aur ek aur extractive industry banne se bachne ke liye important sawalat baki hain.
Dacadeson se African countries ne fossil-fuel energy systems mein arabon dollar invest kiye hain, lekin phir bhi continent par 600 million log bijli ke bina hain. Jab ke global garami ecosystems ko tabah kar rahi hai, khudara khoraak ki surat mein nuqsaan pahuncha rahi hai, aur paani ki kami ko bigad rahi hai, Africa ab bhi fossil fuels par bhari hai; renewables sirf bijli utpadan ka 21% hissa hain. Lekin taiz badalte hue climate crisis ke mutabiq, is continent ke energy system ko oil aur gas se door rehne ki talaash hai.
Renewable energy ka tezi se izhaar Africa ke liye tabdeeli anayat ho sakta hai, jo ke climate change aur underdevelopment ke do muqablay mein madad kare. Lekin is system ko sab ke liye bijli ki pohanch ko yakeen banaye rakhne ke liye yeh zaroori hai ke yeh mohlik bhi ho aur samaji tor par shaamil bhi ho. Tihaiyat yeh hai ke continent ki maqsood energy infrastructure ki kami hai, isliye African countries fossil fuels ko chhod sakti hain (jisse ke duniya renewable energy ki taraf shift karte waqt stranded assets na hon) aur ek aisi sabzi economy bana sakti hain jo renewables par mabni hai aur inki zarurat ko pura karne ke liye hai.
Low-cost green hydrogen continent par energy pohanch ko barha sakta hai aur renewables ki taraf tezi se rukh karne mein madad kar sakta hai. Aur local value chains, green jobs, aur technology aur ilm ki transfer ke zariye bhi, yeh producer countries ke taraqqi mein bahut zyada hissa daal sakta hai.
Lekin, in faidayon ko hasil karne ke liye, green hydrogen ka development pehle tawajju African interests ki taraf hona chahiye. Iska matlub hai ke green hydrogen banane aur istemal karne ke liye processes aur policies ko woh standards par amal kiya jaye jo United Nations ne 2015 mein duniya ko dikhaye Sustainable Development Goals mein rakhe gaye hain. Ye bhi zaroori hai ke yeh Paris climate agreement aur African Union ke Agenda 2063 ke maqasid ko bhi pura karein.
Aise projects ko ecosystem integrity ko qaim rakhna, decent work aur economic prosperity ko barhawa dena, social inclusion aur cohesion ko tez karna, aur human rights ko izzat dena bhi shamil hai. Yeh maqasid sirf is tareeqe se hasil kiye ja sakte hain ke potentionally affected communities ki free, prior, aur informed consent aur participation hasil ki jaye.
Achhi governance aur transparency green hydrogen ka izhaar karne mein power relations ko badal sakte hain developed duniya aur African countries ke darmiyan. “Green colonialism” ke jhanse mein na giren, balki ye countries barabari ke taalluqat banayein jo equity aur ownership, inclusion, resource competition, aur displacement ke masail ko seedha hal karte hain.
Yakeen ke sath kaha jaa sakta hai ke green-hydrogen projects khatre se bharpoor hote hain. Ismein se sabse bade khatre mein zameen istemaal ki jhagrayat, majboori ki shifting, maal o dolat ka zabt aur doosre insani haqooq ka shikar ho sakte hain. Yeh bhi maamool hai ke production ke liye bade paimane par fresh water ki zarurat hoti hai. Kyon ke teesre Africans paani ki kami ka samna kar rahe hain, is energy source ko develop karna is masle ko mazeed barhawa de sakta hai, aur shayad masail ko barhaye, khaas kar Africa ke sabse sukhe ilaqon mein.
Iske alawa, large-scale plants aur export infrastructure fragile ecosystems ko nuqsaan pahuncha sakte hain, protected areas ko tabah kar sakte hain, aur samundari hayat ko khatra mein daal sakte hain. Ye khaas taur par sach hai agar hydrogen production mein desalinated samundari paani ka istemaal kiya jata hai, aur hasil hone wala brine bina ilaj local paani mein release kiya jata hai.
Lekin sabse bada masla ye hai ke Africa mein banaya gaya green hydrogen kahin aur export ho sakta hai. Yeh us renewable-energy capacity ko develop karne ke maqsad ko barbaad kar dega. Bijli pohanch ko barhane aur climate resilience ko tez karne ke bajaye, yeh naya industry sirf ek lambi line mein energy injustices ka aakhri hissa banega. Iske alawa, ye fazool hoga: hydrogen ko ammonia jaise derivatives mein tabdeel karna (jo transport ke liye zyada munasib hote hain) 13-25% energy loss ka nateeja de sakta hai, jabke transportation khud mein bhi z