Electricity + Control September 2015

COMMENT

I recently had the privilege of travelling to Lusaka to attend the 2nd African Centres for Lightning and Electromagnetics (ACLE) International Symposium: ‘Strategic Interventions to Mitigate the Hazard of Lightning’. The conference was organised by the ACLE-Zambia, which was also launched at the Symposium. I am one of the Research Advisors to the ACLE, but have never had the opportunity, previously, of being able to attend one of their events. The Symposium was run under the auspices of the Science and Technology desk of the Non-aligned Movement (NAM), represented at the Symposium by their Director. The ACLE is a pan-African Network of Centres dedicated to reducing deaths, injuries and property damage from lightning. While we hear terrible sto- ries about death and injury caused by lightning here in South Africa, many other parts of the continent have a far more serious problem on their hands. The symposium covered many topics, and I was impressed by the acknowledgement that some of the processes and procedures that apply to good lightning safety practice simply cannot be applied with impunity in the African context. For instance, within many parts of Africa deaths of people sheltering within structures is not uncom- mon. In South Africa we would advise people to get into a building in a lightning storm. The reasons are clear. Generally the structure is earthed and provides a form of lightning protection. Structures made of non-conductive materials with no electricity supply, on the other hand, probably offer no better protection than if people remained outdoors. Evidence seems to suggest that clustering in such informal structures may put them at even greater risk, resulting in multiple injuries and deaths. An even more profound problem, of which we have some experience, is figuring out how to deal with the mythology around lightning – and how that has an impact on the way people behave in lightning storms. This has evolved as an important research area, with nuances of each region playing a role.

As I had never been to Zambia I found the whole experience most fulfilling. The first surprise, as it were, was to observe that the flying time from Johannesburg to Lusaka was less than the time to Cape Town. This emphasises the huge opportunity for collaboration and the possibility to begin con- versations around common themes – one of which, of course, is energy. Energy, like water, is generally somewhat scarce on the continent – although the potential is spectacular. It remains impossible, however, to travel north of South Africa without becoming profoundly aware of the potential… sensing that you are looking at economies poised for growth. It is well known that some of the fastest growing economies are on this continent, and I am firmly of the view that Africa – specifically because of its riches – will become the next genuinely sustainable good news story.

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I wonder who will be smart enough to become a part of that process?

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Electricity+Control is supported by:

Ian Jandrell Pr Eng, BSc (Eng) GDE PhD, FSAIEE SMIEEE

The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, the editor, SAAEs, SAEE, CESA, IESSA or the Copper Development Association Africa

September ‘15 Electricity+Control

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