Fuel at crossroads: the role of charcoal making in rural livelihoods, woodland change and ecology

Abstract

Humans have for long relied on charcoal production for their energy needs, as evidence of production sites and kilns are found dating from the middle ages onwards. Urbanisation in sub-Saharan Africa at the beginning of the 20th century heralded a new era where charcoal production was highly commercialised due to high energy demand in urban areas. However, this new found importance of charcoal lacked policy and institutional support in many sub-Saharan countries. This led some scholars to believe that due to rapid population growth and inefficient wood fuel consumption techniques, subSaharan Africa was headed for a wood fuel crises by the end of the century. While the wood fuel crises never materialized and was dispelled as simplistic and alarmist, the damage on charcoal as a potential sustainable source of energy was done. The negative image of the charcoal industry is because it has been mainly associated with environmental degradation and pollution, unstainable use of wood, and a toxic work environment. However, views on a more positive role of charcoal production on livelihoods of rural communities have been emerging. It is now widely accepted that production and use of charcoal will increase and continue into the future in sub-Saharan Africa. This therefore calls for better understanding of the role of charcoal in land cover change, its impact on species composition and rural livelihoods. It is from this understanding that sustainable management strategies of this resource can be explored. This study was designed to give a 3600 view of charcoal production at a very local scale in order to get an intensive understanding of the effects of charcoal production on the environment and the local community. In order to gain such understanding, we have used an array of methods and disciplinary perspectives: integrating remote sensing, ecological studies, economics and modelling in one study.