Abstract
For the last three decades, Uganda has lost considerable natural vegetation cover in the refugee settlements and buffer zones due to the high demand for wood fuel and timber. It is worthy to note that the supplies of wood fuel are more likely to dwindle in the near future. This study explored the determinants of harvested wood-fuel choices and their energy potential. It also examined the implemented energy conservation measures and constraints faced by the refugees both in Palorinya and Imvepi refugee settlements in Northern Uganda. The data were collected by conducting household interviews and collection of wood species samples for energy potential laboratory analysis. Findings indicate that the major sources of wood fuel were firewood, charcoal, briquettes, and biomass fuels. The major refugee choices that determined wood-fuel collection included the family size of the house hold, culture, method of cooking, type of food cooked, high poverty levels, and availability of family labour (P ≤ 0.05). The sampled wood tree species had the highest energy potential were Celtis durandii (5,837 kcal/kg), Parkinsonia aculeata (5,771 kcal/kg), Delonix regia (5,153 kcal/kg), and Bligihia unijugata (5,034 kcal/kg). Access to wood fuel by the households was mainly constrained by limited household income levels, long distances trekked, and inadequate awareness about wood fuel sources and availability. To conserve wood fuel, the refugees deploy several measures including the use of mobile solar gadgets for cooking and lighting, taking up agroforestry, use of briquettes, adoption of energy-saving cooking stoves, and establishment of new woodlots. Therefore, to reverse this trend, the Ugandan government and development partners should prioritise energy investments by supporting cheaper energy alternatives such as mobile solar gadgets and energy-saving cooking technologies, and establishment of woodlots.
Highlights
Uganda is one of the countries in Africa, which hosts the highest number of refugees mainly from South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, and Ethiopia among others who are settled in gazetted refugee settlements [1]
The Refugee and Host Population Empowerment (ReHoPE) strategic framework calls for the improvement of the resilience of refugees and host communities to reduce reliance on donor aid [5]. e humanitarian contributions made by nongovernmental organisations, civil society groups, and host communities in helping refugees settle and have access to humanitarian aid and life support services such as livelihood empowerment programmes cannot be underestimated [6, 7]
In this study, only two refugee settlements of Imvepi and Palorinya were selected and investigated because of their degazettement status, nationality of refugees from South Sudan, and proximity to e Scientific World Journal forest reserves and wetlands. e establishment of these refugee settlements has come at a cost to the Ugandan government leading to increased outbreak of human diseases from appalling sanitation and nutritional challenges [8, 9] and vegetation degradation [10, 11] that have stretched the nation’s financial resources in treatment, surveillance, and enforcement of forestry policies
Summary
Uganda is one of the countries in Africa, which hosts the highest number of refugees mainly from South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, and Ethiopia among others who are settled in gazetted refugee settlements [1]. Over 1.4 million refugees are currently hosted in Uganda [2], excluding asylum seekers. Despite the current status of refugees and asylum seekers, the Ugandan Refugee Policy provides for the sheltering of refugees in either camps or settlements [3] and provides for their free movement, access to land, and work [4]. E humanitarian contributions made by nongovernmental organisations, civil society groups, and host communities in helping refugees settle and have access to humanitarian aid and life support services such as livelihood empowerment programmes cannot be underestimated [6, 7]. Vegetation cover in refugee settlements is highly degraded, primarily, because of the high demand for wood fuel used for cooking and heating [12]. Depending on the type of wood fuel utilised, the type of technology used to cook, as well as household size, the quantities harvested vary significantly [6]. e high craving by host communities for income through charcoal burning and sale of firewood escalates this condition further
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