Abstract
The study focused on the assessment of household energy types, sources, uses and their implications on sustainable forest management in the Buea Municipality of the South West Region of Cameroon. The study was carried out in the months of May- September 2005 and November-April 2006. The study made use of the random sampling technique for the administration of questionnaires. Along side the administration of the questionnaire, some selected Participatory rural Appraisal (PRA) tools were employed. Results revealed that, Fuel wood (FW), Kerosene (K), Sawdust (SD), Cooking gas (CG), Charcoal (CH), Rubber (RB), Electricity (EL), were the main energy types/sources identified in the Buea Municipality. Saw dust and Fuel wood were found to be the most frequently consumed energy type/source in the Buea Municipality with a resultant effect on deforestation. On an aggregate weighting, the area was found to consume a total of about 253m3 of FW, 744Litres of K, 14602Kg of SD, 6360Litres of CG, 20625Kg of CH, 3861g of RB, and 40,299KW of EL in a month. Monthly total household expenditure on the various energy types/sources for the study area was evaluated at about 10496640 FRS CFA (US$ 20993). The quantity supplied and consumed of the identified energytypes/sources were observed to be adversely affected by income levels of consumers, market prices for these energy types/sources, seasons and the disappearing forest.KEYWORDS: Energy, Types, Sources, Household, Consumption.
Highlights
INTRODUCTIONThe running of any given economic sector (industrial, domestic) is powered by various forms of energy that can be sourced from renewable and non-renewable sources (FAO 1999)
The running of any given economic sector is powered by various forms of energy that can be sourced from renewable and non-renewable sources (FAO 1999)
The questionnaire in combination with some selected Participatory Rural Appraisal Tools (PRA), sought information on domestic energy types/sources, description and household family income spent on each energy type
Summary
The running of any given economic sector (industrial, domestic) is powered by various forms of energy that can be sourced from renewable and non-renewable sources (FAO 1999). Ayodele (1998) and Zhang et al (2005) observed that about 70% of the population of Africa live in rural areas, with a majority of this population depending on the forest and, to a lesser extent, on crop residue for their daily domestic energy needs From this backdrop, forest size, tree species quality and quantity is on a decrease making it difficult for the forest to provide the needed natural environmental functions. Buea Municipality, which harbours a cross section of these rural and urban Cameroonian households, who treasure and use local indigenous knowledge, gives an opportunity to study and assess the types and sources of domestic energy and alternatives in the area
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