An Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Household Fuel Wood Consumption on the Environment in Nigeria

Abstract

We analysed the impact of household fuelwood consumption on the environment in Nigeria using survey and Landsat remote sensing data. The study employed descriptive statistics and ChiSquared tests as well as image classification techniques. The results revealed that majority of the households are headed by males whose age fall within the category 44-56 years with a household size of five to six persons, earning an income between ₦10,000 to ₦15,000 monthly with 74% of them being married. With regards to the types of cooking fuels available to the households, the 2010/11 result showed that fuelwood fetched was the most common and widely used source. This is followed by fuelwood purchased, then kerosene, Liquidities Petroleum Gas (LPG), charcoal and grass by both rural and urban households in that order. However, a declining pattern was observed over the years for fetched fuelwood while an increasing pattern for fuelwood purchased and LPG was observed. On fuelwood exploitation and their sources, the results revealed that fuelwood fetched from the unfarmed area and the community were declining. In contrast, own woodlots and the proportion of fuelwood fetched from the forest showed signs of increase for both rural and urban areas over the years. The Chi-square results for change in fuelwood sourced areas showed a high chi2 value of 4078.913a with a probability of 1%, indicating that the changes in the wood fetching areas were not by chance. Also, chi2 test value of 4219.527 and a significant P value of 1% further revealed that fuelwood exploitation through distance trekked over the years for both rural and urban areas has been increasing. The results of the image analysis corroborated with LULC change that has indicated a decline in vegetal cover between 2011 and 2019. Urbanization and population growth accompanied by the demand for fuel among others might have the expansion at the expense of natural vegetation. The study recommends that government and Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) should improve LPG use and encourage afforestation based on the United Nation's policy of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD).