Abstract
This study was conducted with the objective of evaluating fuel wood consumption and its implication to forest degradation in Agarfa wereda. The study has employed purposive sampling technique, in which four kebeles were selected based on their settlement patterns, exploitation of the forests and their proximity of kebeles to the town and forest lands. As a result, 134 households were nominated using the simple random techniques. The study utilized primary data, which were collected through household’s questionnaires, checklists, and participant observations. Results revealed that about 12 mostly preferred tree species were recorded and identified for fuel wood production. the total amounts' fuel woods consumed by the households were estimated at 65.14m 3 (39,084kg/years). The multiple linear regressions' model was employed. Occupation, household’s family members and time spent for fuel wood collection significantly positive linear relationship with fuel wood consumption at (p <0.05). From the result, fuel woods were to be the second cause of forest degradation next to Agricultural land expansion. The struggles for forest resource's utilization by agricultural households are not adequate to mitigate the problem of forest in spite of some efforts on part of governmental and nongovernmental organizations in mobilizing the household towards forest conservation. In order to confirm sustain sources of fuel wood it is recommended that the use of improved cooking stoves, providing environmental education, increasing income of households, tree planting, encouraged grooviest farming system, providing an alternative form of energy, strengthening law enforcement on part of the government on those who illegally and indiscriminately exploit forest's products, will encouragingly be reducing down the impact of forest degradation and socio-economic conditions of livelihoods of households of study area. Keywords : Deforestation, Forest degradation, Fuel wood consumption, Household DOI : 10.7176/JRDM/62-03 Publication date: January 31 st 2020
Highlights
General objectives The main objective of this study is to evaluate fuel wood consumption and its impact to forest degradation in a case of Agarfa district, south east Ethiopia. 1.3.2
During an interview when unable to reach household at home, the female was interviewed as household of the family. These are the reasons why the numbers of female household increasing by 26.12% in the study area
During focus group discussions (FGD) confirmed that women are often extensively involved in several forests based livelihood activities such as a collection of fuel wood and charcoal production, etc
Summary
(FAO,2010) revealed that up to 2 billion people depend on forest goods such as fruits, game meat, fibers and fuelwood to meet their basic needs. (FAO,2010) claimed that fuelwood harvesting in developing countries is so important that it rivals other sources of industrial energy such as electricity, principally among poor people in rural areas. Study by (ECA,2013) argued that, percent of people in the developing world rely on wood and it’s by products for cooking. In most African countries biomass fuel, especially wood, is the most important source Africa is characterized by strong growth in urban consumption of fuelwood as stated by (Zenebe,2010). The survival of rural dwellers and urban resident depends on finding enough wood to cook their meal which at present constitutes the main source of cooking fuel for over 76% of the Nigerian population (Bearer,2008). Many tropical biodiversity hotspots (Bouget,2012) represent such a scenario where human population rely on threatened, reduced and fragmented forests to meet their demand for fuelwood, land for agriculture and production of animal protein (Peres,2010 and Ruger,2008)
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