Abstract
Biomass is the sum total of all organic material or living matter derived from plants and animals which includes forestry and forest products industry residues. Biomass accounts for about 11% of total primary energy consumed globally, more than other renewables and nuclear power together. Approximately half of the world’s population and up to 90% of rural households in developing countries still rely on unprocessed biomass fuels in the form of wood, dung and crop residues. Therefore, this paper is sets out to review the environmental and social impacts of rural traditional biomass energy utilization and utilization trends globally, in developed and developing countries, by reviewing different written and published materials such as research findings and different reports. the findings of those reports related to the selected topic and objectives is organized from global to rural house hold traditional biomass energy utilization and environmental and social impacts to rural house hold utilization trends. The link between environmental degradation and biomass utilization is most commonly drawn through deforestation and the resulting consequences of the loss of forest cover: erosion, decreased biodiversity, desertification, decreased soil moisture and nutrient loss, and change in surface roughness and albedo, which changes the radiative balance of the affected landscape. Indoor air pollution is the biggest health risk after malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, lack of clean water and adequate sanitation in developing countries. In addition to severe public health risks, engaging in production processes limits time spent in primary and secondary school resulted for the low rates of education in charcoal-producing communities; Rural and poor women and children in many developing countries spend a significant portion of their time gathering and collecting wood fuel, crop residues and animal dung for use as cooking and space heating fuels this relates to the opportunity cost of the time spent collecting wood. Keywords: environmental, health, impact ,social ,Traditional biomass DOI : 10.7176/JETP/9-9-01 Publication date: December 31 st 2019
Highlights
Energy is one of the basic requirements in human life; most of the rural people do not have enough access to efficient and affordable energy resources
The vast majority of rural people are dependent on traditional fuels such as wood, dung and crop residues, often using primitive and inefficient technologies
For more than 90% of the Ethiopian population, the only energy used for cooking is obtained from biomass, in which 99% is derived from fuel wood, charcoal, crop residue, and leaves, with fuel wood occupying the leading position (Amare,2006, Legros,et al 2009)
Summary
Energy is one of the basic requirements in human life; most of the rural people do not have enough access to efficient and affordable energy resources. The vast majority of rural people are dependent on traditional fuels such as wood, dung and crop residues, often using primitive and inefficient technologies. This resource continues to dominate the rural energy supply, and in the foreseeable future. The continued dependence on traditional biomass is not without considerable environmental, social and health implications. Deficit further leads to women and girls having to travel longer distances to collect firewood or turn into using lower grade fuels, further impoverishing their health (Lydia 2008)
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