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Renewable Energy
Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and state-backed companies are unlikely to scale back renewable energy investments in Africa despite disruptions from the Iran war, analysts say, given the strong long-term economic and strategic reasons driving such funding. Investors made wealthy by the Gulf region's abundant oil and gas increasingly are turning to Africa's clean energy sector, attracted by rising electricity demand, rapid urbanization and the continent's growing role in global supply chains tied to critical minerals and manufacturing. A report released last month by the Clean Air Task Force found that more than $101.9 billion had flowed into Africa's renewable energy sector from Gulf countries by end of 2024, led by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Much of the investment has been concentrated in North Africa, Southern Africa and parts of East Africa, while West Africa has attracted relatively limited funding. "Africa remains one of the few ..
Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla said sustainable practices adopted in space offer lessons for North Eastern states like Meghalaya, expanding renewable energy in remote areas. Speaking at the 23rd National Space Science Symposium hosted by North East Space Application Centre (NESAC) at Umiam near here on Thursday, Shukla, the second Indian astronaut, stressed that life aboard the International Space Station depends almost entirely on solar power. "Astronauts reuse critical resources in an extremely limited environment. That discipline shows sustainable practices are attainable and practical for us as well," Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station in 2025, told students and researchers during an interaction session on Thursday. He commended Meghalaya's efforts to promote clean energy in rural and remote regions where conventional electricity supply remains a challenge. At the symposium, Meghalaya New and Renewable Energy Development Agency .