Woodfuel Consumption in Refugee Hosting Areas and Its Impact on the Surrounding Forests—The Case of Uganda

Abstract

The high dependency of households on woodfuels in Uganda is a renowned driver of forest degradation. Refugee settlements might aggravate the pressure on the environment caused by woodfuel consumption in the absence of impact assessments and measures to improve environmental management and build sustainable livelihoods. In collaboration with the Government of Uganda, UNHCR, and the World Bank, FAO conducted assessments on woodfuel consumption at the household level in displacement settings in Uganda, as well as its impact on the surrounding forests, through field forest inventories, household surveys, and geospatial analysis. The results of these assessments highlight the impact of woodfuel consumption and other drivers on forest degradation, and provide guidance for the development of comprehensive interventions on landscape management and improvement of household cooking fuels and technologies, targeting both refugee and host communities.