A history of fear: imagining deforestation in the West African dryland forests

shortages another 25 years hence. While there is deforestation from many causes, the data do not Urban demand for woodfuels in Sudanian and support crisis scenarios concerning woodfuels. Sahelian West Africa has long been assumed to Nonetheless, crisis scenarios and policies persist. contribute to permanent deforestation in dryland While there may yet be deforestation due to urban forests and wooded savannas. Deforestation has woodfuel extraction, and shortages may be lurking also long been assumed to be progressing such that on the horizon, the article explores some possible these woodlands will no longer be able to provide alternative origins of these woodfuel related the region’s cities with fuel. Available studies of deforestation and shortage fears. regeneration do not support the first assumption. Further, woodfuel shortages projected in the 1980s Key words. Environment, deforestation, regeneration, drylands, forests, woodfuel, firewood, to arrive in the 1990s or early 2000s are nowhere near, while more recent projections predict supply charcoal, Sahel, West Africa.

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