I. Summary Energy is a driving force for development.
Countries require increasing supplies of energy to support their expanding economies.
Without sufficient energy, development lags. Countries with higher levels of development use much more energy per capita than the least developed countries. The energy constraints faced by most developing countries are severe. These countries, especially the poorest, share the common problem of inadequate energy supplies-to fuel economic growth, and to cook food. These requirements for energy have led directly to unmanageable claims on foreign exchange to import oil, and environmental degradation from an over-exploited traditional fuel resource base.