Fuelwood Use Research Articles

Climate, human palaeoecology and the use of fuel in Wadi Sana, Southern Yemen

This study integrates analysis of wood charcoal assemblages with climate proxies, palaeoenvironmental and archaeological data sets in hyper-arid Wadi Sana, Yemen, to address the availability and use of wood fuels by South Arabian hunter-herder groups from the Early Holocene (8000–7700 cal. b.p.) to Middle Holocene (6900–4800 cal. b.p.) periods. The Early Holocene environment, regulated by a stronger Southwest Asian monsoon, was moister than the present, providing a marshy winter grazing area for cattle herders, whose construction of hearths and food preparation strategies changed over time. This study provides an insight into long term stability of land cover and use as well as the dynamics of human contributions to landscape change. We suggest that complex environmental and cultural processes affect species availability, fuel choice and land use management. Despite environmental and economic changes in Wadi Sana, our dataset does not show changes in fuel choice from the Early to Middle Holocene.

Low-carbon yak cheese: transition to biogas in a Himalayan socio-technical niche

This study looks at how potential for resilient low-carbon solutions can be understood and enhanced in the diverse environmental, economic and socio-political contexts in which actual scenarios of energy needs and diverse development pathways take shape. It discusses socio-technical transition approaches to assist implementation of a biogas digester system. This will replace fuelwood use in the high forests of Central Nepal, where yak cheese production provides livelihood income but is under threat from the Langtang National Park, which is concerned to protect biodiversity. Alternatives for digester design are discussed, and the consultative issues for deliberative processes among stakeholders' varied agendas raised.

Water Soluble Ionic Species in Atmospheric Aerosols: Concentrations and Sources at Agra in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP)

This study presents a comprehensive set of 2 years of data (January 2009–December 2010) on the chemical composition of ambient aerosols collected at a university campus in Agra, which lies on the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). The average concentration of total suspended particles (TSP) was 213.2 ± 91.4 μg/m 3 . The most abundant ions in TSP were Ca 2+ , NO3 – and SO4 2– , which contributed about 3.2%, 3.1% and 2.7%, respectively. TSP and most of the ions, such as F – , Cl – , NO3 – , SO4 2– , NH4 + and K + , had the highest mass concentrations in winter, while higher mass concentrations of Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ were found in summer. Higher ionic concentrations during the winter season may be attributed to a combined effect of biomass burning and meteorological conditions (low temperature, wind speed and mixing height). The [NO3 – ]/[SO4 2– ] ratio at the present sampling site was 1.1 ± 0.4, which indicates that there were equal contributions from both stationary sources and vehicles. In winter, high [NO3 – ]/[SO4 2– ] ratios (1.7 ± 0.4) could be due to the extensive use of fuelwood and cowdung cakes to combat the cold. The acidity in aerosols is neutralized by the alkaline species, as indicated by the correlation between NO3 – and SO4 2– and sum of (Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ and NH4 + ). Ca 2+ is the major acid neutralizing cation in the aerosols, followed by Mg 2+ and NH4 + . The crustal source contribution was observed based on the ratios of various ions with respect to Ca in soil and aerosol. On the basis of backward trajectories and the associated concentrations of the ions, the aerosol samples were classified into sectors in relation to their origin to determine the related sources. The major sources of water soluble ions identified at Agra are biomass combustion and local soil.

Sustainability Impact Assessment on the Production and Use of Different Wood and Fossil Fuels Employed for Energy Production in North Karelia, Finland

The utilization rate of woody biomass in eastern Finland is high and expected to increase further in the near future as set out in several regional, national and European policies and strategies. The aim of this study was to assess the sustainability impacts of changes in fuel consumption patterns. We investigated fossil and woody biomass-based energy production chains in the region of North Karelia, focusing on some economic, environmental and social indicators. Indicators were selected based on stakeholder preferences and evaluated using the Tool for Sustainability Impact Assessment (ToSIA). The analysis was based on representative values from National Forest Inventory data, scientific publications, national and regional statistics, databases, published policy targets and expert opinion. From the results it became evident that shifting from fossil to wood-based energy production implies some trade-offs. Replacing oil with woody biomass in energy production would increase the local value added remaining in the region, create employment opportunities and would reduce total GHG emissions. However, firewood, wood chips from small-diameter trees from early thinning and wood pellets have high production costs. Moreover, large greenhouse gas emission resulted from wood pellet production. The case study generated valuable reference data for future sustainability assessments and demonstrated the usefulness of ToSIA as a tool presenting existing knowledge on sustainability impacts of alternative energy supply chains to inform decision making.

Double jeopardy: The dichotomy of fuelwood use in rural South Africa

Energy security is central to achieving sustainable development and reducing poverty worldwide. Over 70% of the population of Sub-Saharan Africa, mostly in the rural areas, depend on wood fuel, as firewood or charcoal, to meet their primary domestic energy requirements. This dependence is projected to increase with population growth in the intermediate future, regardless of the implementation of rural electrification programmes.. Fuelwood shortages occur at the localised village level and are a chronic landscape syndrome, becoming more severe over time, with increasing population pressures and competing land-uses. In the South African context, the provision of electricity to rural households at subsidised rates would be expected to provide a viable alternative to fuelwood under conditions of scarcity. This paper compares the fuelwood consumption strategies of households in a fuelwood-scarce environment against those in fuelwood-abundant environment in order to illustrate the inelastic nature of the demand for fuelwood in rural communities, even in the face of severely depleted wood stocks. We seek to understand the mechanisms that households implement to ensure household fuelwood/energy security and how these responses aggregate at the landscape level to shape landscape dynamics. This will aid better planning of intervention policies in the future.

Factors affecting fuelwood consumption in household cookstoves in an isolated rural West African village

This study examines the factors that affect fuelwood consumption in cookstoves and estimates fuelwood consumption associated with the use of cookstoves in a rural isolated West African village with a population of 770. Five primary applications of cookstoves were identified: cooking meals, heating water for washing, roasting peanuts, making medicine, and steeping tea. Six factors were identified that significantly impacted cooking energy use: the type of cookstove application, family size, total mass of wet and dry ingredients, mass of dry ingredients, the use of burning embers as an igniter, and the number of fires used during a cooking event. Annual village fuelwood use for all cookstove applications was 234 metric tons; cooking meals and heating water accounted for 65% and 27% of this fuelwood use, respectively. Fuelwood consumption per person was strongly linked with family size. As family size increased from five to 20 members, fuelwood consumption decreased from 20.6 MJ cap−1 day−1 to 10.5 MJ cap−1 day−1.

Climate benefits from alternative energy uses of biomass plantations in Uganda

The establishment of tree plantations in rural areas in Uganda could provide renewable energy to rural communities, while decreasing greenhouse gas emissions from conventional electricity sources and unsustainable forest use. The study evaluates the greenhouse gas benefits that could be produced by biomass based energy systems in Anaka, a rural settlement in the Amuru district in northern Uganda. Two alternative energy uses are explored: a) electricity production through wood gasification and b) traditional fuelwood use. It is estimated that a small-scale wood gasifier could provide electricity for basic community services by planting less than 10 ha of new short rotation coppices (SRCs). The gasification system could save 50–67% of the GHG emissions produced by traditional diesel based electricity generators in terms of CO2-eq. (0.61–0.83 t MWh−1 or 7.1 t y−1 per hectare of SRCs). It was also estimated that traditional use of fuelwood in households is currently unsustainable, i.e. the consumption of wood is higher than the annual growth from natural wood resources in the study area. It is estimated that 0.02–0.06 ha per capita of plantations could render the current consumption of wood sustainable. In this way, the CO2 emissions produced through unsustainable extraction of wood could be avoided (2.0–7.3 t per capita per year or 50–130 t y−1 per hectare of SRCs).

Disease burden of fuelwood combustion pollutants in rural households of the Himalayas, India

Background: Household biomass combustion for cooking purposes produces pollutants. Exposure tothese pollutants has various adverse health impacts and is a major contributor to global disease burden.However, a precise estimate of the burden attributable to biomass combustion at the local level is notavailable in different parts of the world, therefore restricting policymakers’ ability to develop targetedactions against the health hazards. a study was conducted in the rural Himalayas to generate informationabout disease burden, with the purpose of aiding the development of strategies to improve public health.MEtHods: Exposure level, population exposed and other relevant data regarding fuel-wood use, werecollected through questionnaire survey from 102 randomly selected households spread in 46 villages ina two phase cluster random sampling design study during 2008 – 09. the burden of disease for acuteLower respiratory Infection (aLrI), chronic obstructive Pulmonary disease (coPd) and Lung cancerwere estimated as per fuel-based approach of WHo guidelines for rural hilly households, using fuel-wood for cooking.rEsuLts: Households, primarily dependent on fuel-wood for fuel, had disability adjusted life years(daLYs) lost and deaths that were much higher than the national status. the incidence of disease burdenwas 2 909 daLYs lost, with a share of 1 987 for aLrI in children “up to” 5 years age, 730 for coPd and 192for Lung cancer in adults more than 30 years old, respectively.this result has implications for policy makers when deciding on an effective exposure reduction strategyand describes the risks connected between these health hazards and the health outcome of inhabitantsexposed to them. the paper also discusses the intervention strategies for “addressing” the issues rel-evant to fuel-wood generated exposure.

Household energy consumption: Community context and the fuelwood transition

We examine the influence of community context on change over time in households’ use of non-wood fuels. Our theoretical framework builds on sociological concepts in order to study energy consumption at the micro-level. The framework emphasizes the importance of nonfamily organizations and services in the local community as determinants of the transition from use of fuelwood to use of alternative fuels. We use multilevel longitudinal data on household fuel choice and community context from rural Nepal to provide empirical tests of our theoretical model. Results reveal that increased exposure to nonfamily organizations in the local community increases the use of alternative fuels. The findings illustrate key features of human impacts on the local environment and motivate greater incorporation of social organization into research on environmental change.

SOIL DEGRADATION AND ALTERED FLOOD RISK AS A CONSEQUENCE OF DEFORESTATION

ABSTRACTThe primary objective of this study was to analyze soil degradation and altered flood risks as a consequence of deforestation. The results showed that the use of fuelwood and competition for agriculture land are the main causes of deforestation, which leads to increased soil erosion and floods. The consequences and the societal risks from floods are quantified. This study indicates that the numbers of fatalities and mortality per river flood event are lower compared with those caused by flash floods. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Domestic Burning of Fuelwood in a Subsistence Tribal Economy of Lower Himalayas, India: Some Implications Based on Exploratory Analysis

Fuelwood is important source of cooking energy in the majority of households of rural India. This paper discusses positive and negative externalities of fuelwood use including forest conservation and the health, welfare and environment for the forest-dependent tribal community of Jaunsar, based on survey data and visual observations from this remote area of the Lower Himalayas, India. Health issues due to fuelwood use are explored among tribal women using data collected from 50 randomly selected households spread in 13 randomly selected villages. The pattern of fuelwood use including hardships in terms of time spent and distance travelled for collection of cooking energy and the kitchen structures are also elaborated. The emission of four major pollution gases—CO, SOx, NOx and CO2—due to fuelwood burning in kitchens is found to be beyond acceptable air standards, causing various reported health problems. Policy implications arise concerning options of local people to utilize other energy options. It is argued that the adverse impacts should be tackled by framing household energy policy in totality, not limited to concern over the energy crisis but also considering associated implications including health and drudgery.

Threshold change in forest understory vegetation as a result of selective fuelwood extraction in Nairobi, Kenya

We examined whether heavy fuelwood collection can cause threshold change in understory forest community and evaluated how selective wood extraction might lead to delayed forest recovery in an urban forest of Nairobi, Kenya. Piecewise regression which represents strongest support for threshold change provided the best fit for the relationships between understory floristic composition (i.e. DCA axis 1) and human disturbance gradients (i.e. canopy cover, and distance from the slum), where threshold changes were detected at c.a. 350 m from the slum and c.a. 30% canopy cover. Only one tree species significantly indicated communities beyond the threshold while an aggressive invasive alien plant (IAP) Lantana camara was strongly represented. Total species diversity along the two human disturbance gradients peaked before the threshold was reached, suggesting that decline in species diversity along the prevailing disturbance gradient might be able to forecast threshold change. Tree species richness in the understory rapidly declined as the threshold was surpassed while other growth forms (i.e. shrubs, herbs and climbers) were relatively unaffected. The effect of selective tree cutting was indirectly impacting the forest understory as species richness pattern of preferred and non-preferred species paralleled that of trees and shrubs, respectively. Thickets of L. camara can negatively affect indigenous flora and its establishment was favored under selective fuelwood extraction removing certain tree species while leaving the IAP untouched. Shading can readily eliminate the IAP, but weak tree regeneration beyond the threshold suggested forest recovery might be delayed for longer than expected because of the interaction between selective fuelwood use and the IAP.

Climbing without the energy ladder: Limitations of rural energy development for forest conservation

Motivated by the evolution of rural electrification as more than just a project to drive modern development but to further effect environmental conservation, this paper offers an examination of the energy transition framework that guides such conclusions. Here, I present a study on household energy use in a village where fuelwood and electricity are easily available and accessible to households. Such conditions allow an examination of the energy ladder where fuel use is not influenced by resource limitations. Based on qualitative and quantitative data collected at the household level, study findings reveal a pattern of fuel accumulation in which the use of electricity and modern technologies are utilized alongside continued fuelwood consumption. Despite increases in household electricity use, the study shows little evidence of electricity displacing fuelwood use; thus, challenging the inevitability of modernization and its potential to work for environmental conservation.

Health effects of an efficient vented stove in the highlands of Guatemala

In Guatemala, as in many places throughout the world, millions of indigenous people cook over non-ventilated indoor open fires. Indoor air pollution and accidental burns are well-known problems attributed to such fires. Efforts have been made to improve health outcomes by placing more efficient vented stoves in homes to decrease such exposure. The purpose of this study is to see if there are any measurable improvements in health outcomes after placement of such stoves within a community. Specifically, this study is designed to evaluate the health effects of placement of the ONIL stove, a rocket-style stove that has been shown to decrease household carbon monoxide (CO) levels and wood-fuel use. The ONIL stove was installed in more than 90% of the homes in Santa Avelina, Quiche, Guatemala between 2002 and 2006. The number of clinic visits per year for acute upper- and lower-respiratory illnesses in this village was compared for the years 2002 and 2006. Clinic visits for upper- and lower-respiratory illnesses combined decreased by 26%, and for acute lower respiratory solely, by 45% between 2002 and 2006. This study suggests that the placement of an improved vented stove may be associated with a corresponding decrease in acute respiratory illnesses.

Pulling effects of district heating plants on the adoption and spread of willow plantations for biomass: The power plant in Enköping (Sweden)

Abstract The development of the willow cultivation for bioenergy in the municipality of Enkoping was analysed, with special attention to the changes in the capacity and use of wood fuels of the municipality’s combined power and heat plant, during the period 1986–2005. The evolution is compared with the municipality of Orebro, in Central Sweden, a pioneer in the use of willow plantations. The study was performed including the geographical location of all the plantations and owners using a GIS platform, and a methodology based on n-sigmoidal curves was proposed to study the adoption curves of willow before and after the changes in the district heating plant. The results show significant enlargements of the area planted with willow observed after the enlargement of the plant in 1994; most of these new plantations being located within 30 km from the plant. The method applied seems to be suited to explain the effects in adoption of the power plant. Around 28% of the growers seem to be attributed to the effects of the plant. The results of this study provide empirical evidence of the effect of the district heating systems on the development and promotion of willow plantations. The methodology provided can be valuable in understanding the success or failure of the energy programmes, from the farmer’s perspective, and can aid policy makers in achieving their goals.

Fuelwood demand and supply in Rwanda and the role of agroforestry

Fuelwood in Rwanda is assumed to come from forests and woodlands, thus contributing to large-scale deforestation. Available studies on fuelwood demand and supply support this assumption and indicate a continuously rising demand of fuelwood, notably from forest plantations. These assertions are insufficiently substantiated as existing forest stock may not be depleted by rapid increase in demand for food and energy resources resulting from population growth, but rather from the need for agricultural land. Evidence suggests that the demands for fuelwood, in addition to other sources of energy, is supplied from agroforestry systems which has not been quantified so far. This review analyses sources and use of fuelwood in Rwanda, indicating the importance of on-farms trees and woodlots in fuelwood supply. It is concluded that the effect of fuelwood consumption on land use is difficult to disentangle as many other factors including land clearing for agriculture, livestock farming, human settlements, illegal cutting of valuable timber species, the demand for charcoal in towns and past conflicts, contributed significantly to the high rate of deforestation in the country. If fuelwood demand is to be met on a sustainable basis, more fuelwood has to be produced on agricultural lands and in forest plantations through species site matching and proper management.

The Influence of Socioeconomic Status and Fuelwood Access on Domestic Fuelwood Use in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

No estado de Minas Gerais, domicílios rurais usam a lenha da Mata Atlântica como fonte energética doméstica. Pesquisamos as motivações das desições energéticas domiciliares em quatro comunidades rurais mineiras por meio de um questionário aplicado a 48 domicílios e entrevistas semi-estruturadas. O variável para status sócio-econômico e a interação entre status e acesso à lenha explicaram uma porcentagem significativa da variação na coleta da lenha, o variável que usamos para medir, indiretamente, o uso da lenha. O uso domiciliar da lenha pode ser explicado pelas circunstâncias particulares dos domicílios, o que geralizamos em quatro tipologias que podem informar estudos futuros sobre o uso da lenha.

Fuel Consumption Pattern for Policy Interventions and Integrated Planning in Rural Areas of India

A study has been carried out to identify the fuel consumption pattern in rural areas of the state on pilot basis. The study reveals that the present level of use of fuelwood by households (95.2%) is continuing despite the fact that other fuels like kerosene (38.4), LPG (70%) and crop residues (94.5%) are also being used. Based on per capita per day fuelwood consumption, the estimated annual fuelwood consumption works out in Junga (25,808 tonnes), Nohradhar (53,127 tonnes) and Salogra (37,079 tonnes) totaling 0.116 million tonnes in three zones. The time spent by the rural women in collection of fuelwood is also presented in this study. The suggestions for adopting certain specific renewable energy technologies suitable for the area have been presented.

Forest ESD toward wise use of fuelwood in Mali

Forest ESD toward wise use of fuelwood in Mali

Household adaptations to fuelwood shortage in the old Brahmaputra downstream zone in Bangladesh and implications for homestead forest management

Fuelwood is the principal source of energy, especially in rural households in developing countries like Bangladesh. Due to over-use and unsustainability of fuelwood production, it has become a scarce resource in many poor countries. To understand reasons for household fuelwood scarcity and adaptation techniques, an exploratory survey was carried out in rural households in the downstream zone of the Old Brahmaputra River, Bangladesh, from November 2008 to February 2009. The majority (94%) of households experienced fuelwood scarcity. The high price of fuelwood was the main reason in 49% of households, followed by unsustainability of the fuelwood use (14%), and fragmentation of homestead land (almost 13%). The households experiencing fuelwood scarcity adapted to using other resources such as leaves and twigs, cow dung, rice husks and rice straw and by optimising the duration of fuelwood burning. The study confirms that smaller family size, higher literacy rate, higher total land ownership and higher income of households determine the use of environment-friendly adaptation options. The study gives recommendations for more sustainable homestead forest management, specifically focusing on institutional support and active participation of all stakeholders in the planning process. This will be important for developing future forest and agricultural policy in Bangladesh.