Managing the supply of and demand for fuelwood in Africa.

Biomass fuels mainly fuelwood or derived charcoal and crop residues and dung account for from 40% to over 90% of the total amount of energy consumed in the various countries of sub-Saharan Africa. In 1960 the urban population accounted for 11% of the total demand for fuel; by 1980 this percentage had grown to 21%. Projections for the year 2000 call for an urban share of 37% or 234 million out of 639 million people. Only Angola Cameroon Gabon Nigeria Peoples Republic of the Congo and Zaire have domestic crude oil resources. Botswana Mozambique Swaziland Tanzania Zambia and Zimbabwe have coal but appliances cost too much for households. In most countries less than 20% of urban households have access to electricity. Insecurity of supplies and high prices make it unattractive for households to convert from wood fuels and charcoal to kerosene. Malawi is a small country in southern Africa with a population of around 7 million people. Forests play a vital role in the economy providing approximately 90% of the nations domestic and industrial energy requirements and a substantial volume of timber. Approximately 38% of Malawis land area is currently under forest cover however deforestation causes soil erosion damage to watershed areas and silting. Over the past decade a strategy has evolved from an initial focus on direct tree planting by the government to a comprehensive program for the management of wood on a sustainable basis. The initial response to deforestation for the Forestry Department to establish fuelwood plantations close to Blantyre Zomba and Lilongwe the main centers of population. Between 1980 and 1987 approximately 15000 hectares of peri-urban fuelwood plantations of fast growing species such as eucalyptus were established. Charcoal production is a key element in this strategy because it permits immediate use of distant sources of surplus wood at relatively low cost.