Biofuel
consumption, household level tree planting and its implications for
environmental management in the northwestern highlands of Ethiopia
Woldeamlak
Bewket*
Abstract:
Like
many developing countries, rural Ethiopia heavily depends on biofuels. This
dependency has been contributing to environmental degradation and food
insecurity of the people. However, a comprehensive study has not been carried
out to determine the quantity of biofuels consumed and to distinguish rural
households’ responses to growing scarcity of fuelwood. This would have helped
the design of appropriate strategies for the development of the energy sector.
This study analyses biofuel consumption patterns in four rural villages in the
northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. The results indicate that fuelwood and
cattle dung accounted for nearly 100% of the domestic energy consumption, with
cattle dung contributing to some 34% of the total. Fuelwood and dung combined,
the per capita biofuel consumption was estimated at 511.3 kg per annum, with
some variation between villages and socio-economic groups owing to differences
in physical, environmental and socio-economic factors. Despite claims by some
studies, the pressure on the supply trend has affected consumption of biofuels
and necessitated improvisation on the part of users. And the scarcity of wood
use for various purposes has forced households to plant trees. The number of
trees planted by households showed variation between villages and the different
socio-economic groups, owing to various physical and human factors. This (agro)
forestry practice is a good short-term solution to the existing problem of
fuelwood shortage. Since the practice also embodies multiple positive
implications for environmental management and agricultural production it should
to be encouraged. It is worth noting here that in promoting tree planting (agro)
foresters and environmental management planners should take into account local
level biophysical and socio-economic realities.
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