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IGA Africa Regional Branch held inaugural AGM at ARGeo Conference

IGA Africa Regional Branch held inaugural AGM at ARGeo Conference ARGeo 2016, view from the podium at the Opening Session (source: Alexander Richter)
Alexander Richter 15 Nov 2016

The newly renamed IGA Africa Regional Branch held its inaugural Annual General Meeting during the African Rift Geothermal Conference earlier this month in Addis Ababa/ Ethiopia.

At the recent board meetings of the International Geothermal Association ahead of the ARGeo Geothermal Conference in Addis Ababa/ Ethiopia, IGA renamed its regional branch in Africa.

Called initially IGA East Africa Regional Branch, it has now been renamed Africa Regional Branch to accommodate all countries in Africa. T

The defunct IGA-EARB was established in November 2011 following an approval of the IGA Board of Directors with Meseret Zemedkun as Chair. In conjunction with the ARGeo conference,  the IGA-ARB held its inaugural annual general meeting to discuss modalities of admitting national geothermal associations.

In general membership is open to national geothermal associations in African countries. Members of such national geothermal associations will be automatic members of the IGA-ARB. Where countries do not have a national geothermal associations, individuals will be allowed to join IGA-ARB as individual members until their country established a national association. IGA-ARB will work with individual countries in forming national associations.

The Africa Regional Branch also welcomes individuals from other continents who are interested or already participating in geothermal development in Africa and would like to join IGA-ARB as individual members. An interim committee has been established chaired by Meseret Zemedkun.

The ARB joins two other IGA regional branches namely the European Regional Branch (ERB) and the Western Pacific Regional Branch (WPRB). The aim of the regional branches is to provide a close regional focus for members with common interests, not only geographically but also in terms of similar types of geothermal resources and technical applications.

Source: ARGeo