Firewood Demand Research Articles

Use of firewood for artisanal ceramic production in a context of forest scarcity in Northeastern Brazil

In this study, we sought to examine firewood use patterns in artisanal ceramic production by a quilombola community in the context of forest scarcity in Northeastern Brazil. This article aimed to answer the following questions: (1) Is the firing of ceramic products related to the perceived quality, diversity, or plant part used as firewood? (2) Does the diversity of plants used as firewood vary according to the age and gender of artisan potters? (3) What are the physical and energetic properties of the species most commonly used as firewood? Our main findings were that resource availability and accessibility seem to be the determining factors of firewood use. Exotic species were widely used. Variables commonly described as predictors of firewood diversity, such as age and gender, were not relevant in the context of forest scarcity. The most used exotic species have good physicochemical properties and can be a viable alternative to meet the firewood demand of ceramic production. However, the results showed that these species are more readily available to potters who have access to private woodlands. Therefore, in the studied context, we suggest the need for conservation strategies that foster the creation of energy forests composed of exotic species and, in parallel, promote conservation and reforestation actions aimed at native species.

The impacts of climate change, energy policy and traditional ecological practices on future firewood availability for Diné (Navajo) People.

Local-scale human-environment relationships are fundamental to energy sovereignty, and in many contexts, Indigenous ecological knowledge (IEK) is integral to such relationships. For example, Tribal leaders in southwestern USA identify firewood harvested from local woodlands as vital. For Diné people, firewood is central to cultural and physical survival and offers a reliable fuel for energy embedded in local ecological systems. However, there are two acute problems: first, climate change-induced drought will diminish local sources of firewood; second, policies aimed at reducing reliance on greenhouse-gas-emitting energy sources may limit alternatives like coal for home use, thereby increasing firewood demand to unsustainable levels. We develop an agent-based model trained with ecological and community-generated ethnographic data to assess the future of firewood availability under varying climate, demand and IEK scenarios. We find that the long-term sustainability of Indigenous firewood harvesting is maximized under low-emissions and low-to-moderate demand scenarios when harvesters adhere to IEK guidance. Results show how Indigenous ecological practices and resulting ecological legacies maintain resilient socio-environmental systems. Insights offered focus on creating energy equity for Indigenous people and broad lessons about how Indigenous knowledge is integral for adapting to climate change. This article is part of the theme issue 'Climate change adaptation needs a science of culture'.

Utilizing Mixed Methods Community-Based Participatory Research to Improve Environmental Health and Quality of Life Outcomes in Rural Rwanda

Background: Health risks associated with burning biomass and stress on forests caused by firewood demand have necessitated improved cookstove programs. This study aimed to introduce and assess the functionality and impact of an intervention rocket cookstove in a rural Rwandan village.
 Method: This study used a mixed-method community-based participatory research (MMCBPR) design to introduce and test an intervention rocket cookstove. Interviews and focus groups were conducted to gather participants’ perspectives on using stoves and their perceived impact on quality of life. This study occurred over five years and culminated in three distinct phases.
 Results: Quantitative data showed that rocket stoves reduced firewood consumption by 30%–50% compared to traditional cooking methods. In addition, the qualitative data indicated widespread acceptance of the intervention concomitant with improved environmental health and quality of life outcomes. Participants reported improved health due to reduced smoke exposure, eye irritation, headaches, and an improved capacity for savings.
 Conclusion: The longitudinal nature of this study provides insight into the complexities of MMCBPR in the Global South. The findings show that small interventions, such as an improved cookstove, can improve the quality of life of individuals in marginalized communities if researchers are willing to invest the time that MMCBPR requires. Suggestions for future studies, especially for researchers seeking to expand MMCBPR beyond the boundaries of public health in North America, are discussed.

Growth history of pollarded black poplars in a continental Mediterranean region: A paradigm of vanishing landscapes

Pollarded woodlands are iconic components of European rural landscapes. Pollarding is a traditional management technique used to obtain timber and firewood. However, these woodlands are subjected to different stressors in rapidly depopulating rural regions under continental Mediterranean areas where riparian black poplar (Populus nigra) pollards are widespread but still understudied. First, the rapid rural depopulation has lead to the abandonment of pollarding creating trees with abundant, thick and heavy branches. Second, climate warming and alteration of river flows reduce soil moisture which could contribute to growth decline of riparian pollards. We investigated how these stress factors have impacted radial growth in seven sites located in four river basins of southern Aragón, north eastern Spain. We used dendrochronology to reconstruct the changes in radial growth during the period 1890–2020 and to assess how growth has responded to changes in temperature, precipitation and river flow variability. Since 1900 growth suppressions, probably corresponding to pollarding events, occurred in several decades (1910s, 1960s, 1980s and 1990s) and showed a high variability among sites and river basins. Suppressions peaked during the 1940s, probably associated to intense pollarding related to high timber and firewood demand after the Spanish Civil War. Poplar radial growth increased in response to high precipitation and river flow from March to April, particularly in sites located away of river banks. Pollarding abandonment and declines in soil moisture availability threaten the persistence of veteran black poplars. Active management through pollarding and protection should be implemented to preserve these iconic, anthropogenic woodlands due to their multiple ecological and cultural services.

WOOD AS A BIOFUEL IN ROMANIA: A SOCIO-ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE ON DISCREPANT REPORTED NUMBERS

Nearly 50% of Romanian households use wood as a source of heating. A series of contradicting official reports regarding the demand and supply of firewood in Romania indicates that the consumed volume is higher than the available quantity. This study aims to characterise the dynamics of the firewood market and shed light on the officially reported figures. We analysed certain variables and their influence on firewood demand for six consecutive years. The demand was significantly higher than the supply and was strongly correlated with the unemployment rate. This socio-economic facet leads us to believe that abruptly diminishing fuelwood consumption is an unrealistic policy objective of the authorities.

The potentials of technology complementarity to address energy poverty in refugee hosting landscapes in Uganda

The continued influx of refugees into Uganda confronts people and hosting landscapes with severe challenges. Vast volumes of biomass resources are required for energy and building materials. Consequently, woodlands have come under pressure as the key source within refugee-receiving regions. This raises the question of how to simultaneously achieve a higher standard of living and energy autonomy for the population while reducing primary resource demand and safeguarding nature. We propose that nature-based and/or technological adaptions can ameliorate this dramatic and deteriorating situation. We thus evaluated the impact of: (i) building autonomy by growing biomass resources on scale via approaches such as agroforestry and ii) enhancing energy efficiency through use of improved cook stoves (ICS) and switching toward renewable energy sources. Focusing on four Ugandan districts, we analyzed the energy and land demand of households and districts in three scenarios. Our results show all districts running into shortages of biomass resources and cultivable land and two districts already reaching their limits. An efficient use of woodfuel combined with solar energy could reduce primary energy demand by up to 37%. The remaining wood demand could be realized by agroforestry systems thereby ensuring household energy autonomy and access to reliable energy sources. We recommend combining energy efficiency measures and technology to reduce firewood demand with agroforestry solutions to satisfy the remaining necessities. Both are needed to reduce the essistential pressure on woodlands and increase the energy autonomy of refugee-hosting landscapes while respecting stakeholder needs.

Forecasting Solar PV Demand Split and Fuel Wood Usage Reduction in Eriti and Oke-Agunla Villages in Nigeria

The study examined solar photovoltaic demand split and fuel wood usage reduction in Eriti and Oke-Agunla villages, that were among the pilot sites for solar electrification programs in the western ecological region of Nigeria. It used questionnaire techniques to elicit information in the local dialect of the respondents, on alternative energy sources for provision of energy services from each of the household's heads, representing solar PV users, in all the 371 households that constitute about 13.4 percent of the 2,778 dwellers in the two villages, for the base year 2020. Specifically, at the rate of the observed 8 dwellers per household, data were obtained from 179 respondents, out of a total of 1,434 dwellers in Eriti village. Likewise, at the rate of the observed 7 dwellers per household, data were also obtained from 192 respondents, out of a total of 1,344 dwellers in Oke-Agunla village. Model for Analysis of Energy Demand (MADE-II) was used for the study. The study showed that the total lighting demand share for solar PV in each of the villages’ total energy demand mix in 2020 was insignificantly low at 5.1 percent share in Eriti village and 6.1 percent share in Oke-Agunla village. Contrariwise, firewood demand maintained as high as 94 and 92 percent share for Eriti and Oke-Agunla villages respectively in the total energy demand mix and by 2030, in Oke-Agunla village, 3-stones-firewood stoves demand for cooking fell drastically from 77% to 30% share, whereas improved firewood stoves demand for cooking rose astronomically from 11% share in 2020 to 45% share by 2030. Nigerian government should adopt such best policy intervention scenario for all the rural areas in the country.

Household Fuel Transition and Determinants of Firewood Demand in Nepal

There is an emerging challenge of providing cleaner fuel to household to avoid various health risks arising from the use of traditional non-cleaner fuel and to cope with the challenges created by climate change. The energy transition theories explain how societies switch from traditional to more advanced fuels that are cleaner and efficient. The paper examines the state of fuel transition and determinants of firewood dependence in Nepal. This paper uses data collected in 2013 from three different ecological zones through household surveys. The findings revealed that biomass fuel particularly firewood is the dominant form of fuel used for household cooking with 84 percent dependence followed by LPG 9 percent, biogas 6 percent and electricity around 1 percent. The findings revealed that energy security through energy stacking is a dominant phenomenon. Presence of alternative fuel that are cleaner and convenient and ecological factors are major determinants of household firewood demand followed by literacy status, landholding size, household size, presence of large ruminant. Firewood consumption had negative relation with its price but the relation was not economically significant. In contrast to the study hypotheses, household income and remittance were not determining factors. In view of wider coverage of electricity, there is prospect for shifting to renewable fuel sources through appropriate pricing and technological improvement policies.

Analysis of status, potential and economic significance of solar water heating system in Ethiopia

Abstract Dependence on imported oils, unmet electric energy demand and unsustainable consumption of forestry resources for water heating are the greatest problems in Ethiopia. In this study the economic potential saving of these energy sources in future through solar water heaters (SWHs) is presented. The System Advisor Model (SAM) and Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP) are used for analysis in the study. It is estimated that 5.474 million m2 flat plate collector (FPC) areas can save 47,730 tonne kerosene, 45,001 tonne diesel, 1480 GWh of electric energy and 1,698,116 tonne firewood in 2025. The amount that can be saved equals to 5% of the industry diesel demand, 50% of urban households' kerosene demand and 50% of urban households' and commercial sectors’ electricity and firewood demand for hot water production. The energy saving through SWHs is analyzed considering the useful energy output at end use devices. The estimated 1480 GWh of electric energy saving is equivalent to 2.211 million m2 FPC gross areas. This energy equals to an installed power generation capacity of 691 MW wind, 429 MW hydropower or 1045 MW grid connected PV including a corresponding minimum added investment capital of 533.96 million USD, 1237.4 million USD and 1908.4 million USD.

New biomass products, small-scale plants and vertical integration as opportunities for rural development

The study surveyed eight small-scale operations designed to produce wood pellets and microchips, the latter intended as a low-price pellet surrogate. Surveyed operations were equally spread between the two product types, and they all targeted residential users. They were all run by forest owners or forest contractors, driven to the new business by the need to increase the value of low quality wood and to fill the gap created by a dwindling firewood demand. Production cost averaged 228 € t−1 for pellets (9% water mass fraction) and 134 € t−1 for microchips (water mass fraction between 11 and 18%). For each process type, three entrepreneurs out of four accrued meaningful profits, estimated at 10% and 6% for pellets and microchips, respectively. However, profitability differences between the two production chains were deprived of statistical significance. Raw material cost accounted for 28% and 50% of total cost respectively for pellets and microchips, and it was significantly lower for forest owners. Product drying was always obtained with renewable energy sources, such as wood or solar radiation. The most important success factor reported by all entrepreneurs was direct sale to final users, without intermediation. Additional success factors were: self-construction, use of unutilized resources at marginal cost, control of raw material supply and capture of opportunity wood. Entrepreneurs who ceased operation attributed their decision to the lower cost of imports, the absence of a receptive market and the higher profitability of alternative products.

CADEIA PRODUTIVA DE ENERGIA DE BIOMASSA FLORESTAL: O CASO DA LENHA DE EUCALIPTO NO POLO PRODUTIVO DE ITAPEVA - SP

A biomassa de origem florestal é uma importante fonte de energia na matriz energética brasileira em que o eucalipto representa a principal espécie para o suprimento da demanda de lenha. Por essa razão, diagnosticar os fatores críticos que limitam o desempenho competitivo da cadeia produtiva da lenha de eucalipto foi o objetivo do trabalho. A área de estudo escolhida (selecionada) foi o polo produtivo de Itapeva - SP e a pesquisa de campo foi realizada no segundo semestre de 2013, utilizando a análise de cadeias produtivas como marco teórico conceitual. Como instrumento para a coleta dos dados, utilizou-se o questionário semiestruturado, um roteiro de entrevistas e painéis envolvendo questões relacionadas à cadeia produtiva da lenha de eucalipto, contemplando 23 diferentes agentes da cadeia. A cadeia analisada demonstrou estruturação, porém, tem enfrentado um revés produtivo decorrente de uma conjuntura macroeconômica que resultou em queda da demanda de produtos de origem florestal, e entraves locais de significativa importância, que precisam ser contornados para aumentar o desempenho da cadeia.

English

Dead leaves of neem trees in the Sahelian urban zone are among the wastes that are underutilized, since it is either buried or burnt, and thus, contribute to increased environmental pollution. Unfortunately, the lack of information on the biomass and energy potentials of these wastes empedes any initiative for its industrial biomethanization. This study was investigated with the aim of evaluating the biofuel potentials of dead neem leaves in Maroua town. The number of neem trees, as well as biomass produced by their dead leaves in the town was estimated. Different possible forms of energy which could be generated from biomass were determined. Results revealed the presence of 45500 neem trees in the whole town. In addition, averagely 1.2 kg of dead neem leaves was daily produced per tree. All the neem trees were able to generate 53.7 tons biomass/day, which can supply 756.538 m3 of biogas in 7 months of defoliation. This biogas volume was assimilated to 5.674 MWh/day of electrical energy, sufficient enough to support the need of 7565 householders. The biogas produced could be used as cooking energy source, or substitute the firewood demand of 3926 householders for 7 months, leading to the preservation of 567.45 ha land /year from destruction as the result of uncontrolled firewood collection in the sahelian zone. Key words: Biomethanization, biogas, biofuel, dead neem leaves, energy, Maroua town.

Firewood demand and energy policy in south-central Chile

Firewood is the major fuel for household heating in south-central Chile and combustion of wood is the major source of air pollution by particulate matter (PM) emissions in this region. This paper discusses various strategies for lowering emissions from household wood combustion and their effectiveness in reducing air contamination. A survey of 2025 households and previous analysis performed with these data showed large consumption of wood fuel for heating in dwellings in Valdivia. The main variable identified is the low thermal efficiency of household envelope. Low efficiency of household envelope, low comfort, and a large share of income dedicated to energy, determines a high level of energy poverty. We have modeled the thermal retrofitting of dwellings under three efficiency scenarios, including stoves’ and house’s envelope improvements. Retrofitting houses led to energy poverty alleviation; in contrast, improvement of heating appliances alone does not alleviate energy poverty nor improve indoor comfort.

Local wood demand, land cover change and the state of Albany Thicket on an urban commonage in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Understanding the rates and causes of land-use change is crucial in identifying solutions, especially in sensitive landscapes and ecosystems, as well as in places undergoing rapid political, socioeconomic or ecological change. Despite considerable concern at the rate of transformation and degradation of the biodiversity-rich Albany Thicket biome in South Africa, most knowledge is gleaned from private commercial lands and state conservation areas. In comparison, there is limited work in communal areas where land uses include biomass extraction, especially for firewood and construction timber. We used aerial photographs to analyze land use and cover change in the high- and low-use zones of an urban commonage and an adjacent protected area over almost six decades, which included a major political transition. Field sampling was undertaken to characterize the current state of the vegetation and soils of the commonage and protected area and to determine the supply and demand for firewood and construction timber. Between the 1950s and 1980s, there was a clear increase in woody vegetation cover, which was reversed after the political transition in the mid-1990s. However, current woody plant standing stocks and sustainable annual production rates are well above current firewood demand, suggesting other probable causes for the decline in woody plant cover. The fragmentation of woody plant cover is paralleled by increases in grassy areas and bare ground, an increase in soil compaction, and decreases in soil moisture, carbon, and nutrients.

Balancing wood market demand and common property rights: a case study of a community in the Italian Alps

Common property rights have a long tradition in the Italian Alps, dating back to the Middle Ages, when alpine village communities managed common forests. On these properties, in accordance with rules aimed at regulating the collective use of resources, shareholders have the right of common use of the land. As many mountainous areas still rely on firewood for the heating of homes, the right to gather firewood from common forests is the most important common property right. In the last few decades, renewable bio-energy production based on forest woody biomass has undergone significant development. In Italy, in communities where the right to gather wood still has economic, social, and cultural relevance, decision makers and community members have a different vision about the use of firewood. This paper focuses on this issue by presenting a case study located in the Italian Eastern Alps, characterised by a historical tradition of common property management. In order to define the optimal strategy to manage the common forests, taking into consideration the local community's needs, a semi-structured questionnaire was submitted to the administrators of the common forests and to the shareholders. Different scenarios of wood use were developed to support managers and decision makers in identifying on-going trends in firewood demand. The results show that the economic scenario for the development of the bio-energy supply chain cannot be reconciled with the historical tradition and social needs.

Assessing forest change in a priority West African mangrove ecosystem: 1986–2010

This study examines the areal extent and status of mangrove forests in a West African region prioritized in contemporary conservation, climate change, and livelihood initiatives. The focus is the transnational region of the western coastal section of The Gambia and Senegal located between the Gambia and Casamance Rivers. Remote sensing applied to Landsat images of the interfluvial region in 1986 and 2010 indicates a 35% decline in overall mangrove coverage for the study area with sub-regions of pronounced loss. There was a 12% decline along the south bank of the lower Gambia River and a 43% decrease in coverage between the Gambian border and the Casamance River. Mangrove loss reached 92% in the northern section of Casamance south of the international border between Senegal and The Gambia. Fieldwork suggests that the mangrove decline over the study period is in part driven by the growing firewood demand of urban centers. The remote-sensing analysis, complemented by fieldwork in the region, attributes the negative trends to the Gambian demand for firewood, political instability in Casamance, and a porous international border that facilitates illegal cutting and smuggling.

The impact of lifestyle and attitudes on residential firewood demand in Norway

In this paper, we analyze the determinants of the demand for firewood by Norwegian households, focusing on intrinsic factors such as lifestyle and environmental attitudes, along with household socioeconomic characteristics. The data are from the Norwegian Consumer Expenditure Survey and a supplementary questionnaire on energy consumption and lifestyle. We apply a zero-inflated negative binomial model to correct for overdispersion and the excessive number of zeros in the data. The results indicate that an urban lifestyle and concerns for comfort are negatively associated with firewood demand. In addition, price has a strong negative effect on demand. However, the most important determinants of household firewood demand are the characteristics of the household residence, including location, and household characteristics such as age and income.

Railway fuel and its impact on the forests in colonial India: The case of the Punjab, 1860–1884

AbstractRecent studies have stressed the need for micro-histories of the environment so that important differences and similarities at local, regional and national level might be revealed. This paper analyses the process and patterns of environmental degradation at regional level by taking the case of deforestation in colonial Punjab by studying its implication at the level of empire. More specifically, it examines three aspects of how the operation and expansion of railways from 1869 to 1884, a peak period of railway expansion, affected the forests of the Punjab's plains. First, the paper analyses the reasons for large-scale railway expansion in the Punjab by discussing spatial and temporal expansion. Secondly, the impact of the railway firewood demand on the Punjab's forests between 1860 and 1884 is examined, specifically, the conditions that facilitated the increased dependence of the railways on firewood. Next follows an examination of the temporally varying nature of deforestation, given that railway firewood demand was determined by railway line openings. This section also includes a discussion on the nature of the colonial state response to the deforestation crisis and its role in maintaining the fuel supply to the railways. Finally, in the context of deforestation in the Punjab, the paper discusses how and why railway fuel changed from firewood to coal.

Unbelievable but improved cookstoves are not helpful in reducing firewood demand in Nepal

ABSTRACTThis paper analyzes the effect of different types of cookstoves on firewood demand at the household level. Using nationally representative household survey data from Nepal, we find that stove type significantly affects the firewood demand for household uses. Traditional mud-stove user households seem to use less firewood than the open-fire stove users. Surprisingly, households with the so-called ‘improved’ stoves seem to use more firewood than the households with mud stoves. Thus, converting traditional open-fire stoves to mud stoves may be a better conservation strategy in the short term rather than installing improved stoves, unless the technology improves. However, in the long run, making cleaner fuel more accessible to rural households is desirable to reduce indoor air pollution.

Firewood harvest from forests of the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia. Part 1: Long-term, sustainable supply available from native forests

Abstract The Murray-Darling Basin is a 1 million km 2 agricultural region of south-eastern Australia, although 29% of it retains native forests. Some are mallee eucalypt types, whilst the ‘principal’ types are dominated mainly by other eucalypt species. One-third of the 6–7 million oven-dry tonne of firewood burnt annually in Australia is obtained from these forests, principally through collection of coarse woody debris. There are fears that removal of this debris may prejudice the floral and faunal biodiversity of the Basin. The present work considers what silvicultural management practices will allow the long-term maintenance of the native forests of the Basin and their continued contribution to its biodiversity. It then estimates that the maximum, long-term, annual, sustainable yield of firewood which could be harvested, by collection of coarse woody debris, from principal forest types of the Basin would be 10 million oven-dry tonne yr −1 . An alternative, harvest of firewood from live trees by thinning the principal forests and clear-felling mallee forests, would be able to supply 2.3 million tonne yr −1 sustainably. Whilst coarse woody debris harvests could supply far more than the present demand for firewood from the Basin, they would lead to substantial reductions of the debris remaining in the forests; this may be detrimental to biodiversity maintenance. Live tree harvest does not lead to this problem, but would barely be able to supply existing firewood demand.