Energy is both a lever essential to our economic development and home comforts and the main source of greenhouse gases which impact the environment. This is just as true in rural areas of West Africa. Energy is needed for domestic uses (wood or charcoal for cooking, electricity for lighting or leisure), economic activities (food processing, crafts and services), public services (schools, health care and water supply) and government administration (computers). And energy production impacts both the local (pressure on forests) and global (CO2 emissions) environment.

To find energy solutions that can reconcile economic development, sustainability, environmental protection and resilience in the face of future climate changes, a careful local analysis of current and future energy needs, as well as potential production sources, is vital. This is the purpose of energy assessment.