Assessment of household charcoal consumption in urban areas: the case of Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania

Abstract

A study on household charcoal consumption was carried out in Ilala, Temeke, and Kinondoni Municipalities in Dar es Salaam City. Data were collected through household surveys and key informant interviews. Statistical Package for Social Sciences(SPSS) was used to analyze socioeconomic characteristics, income level and charcoal consumption per month. A regression model was used to establish the relationship between socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and charcoal consumption. Results revealed that regardless of their income level, 79.8% of the respondents used charcoal as their main source of energy for cooking followed by gas (16.9%). Charcoal was found to be relatively cheaper than other sources of energy while gas was the more efficient source of energy for cooking. Results further showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between charcoal use and occupation, family size, and education level. The results also showed a negative and significant relationship between charcoal use and age. There was a positive and insignificant relationship between charcoal use and years of experience and a negative insignificant relationship between charcoal use and marital status. It is concluded that household charcoal consumption in Dar es Salaam City has increased despite an increase in price. It is recommended that the government considers subsidizing alternative sources of energy in order to reduce pressure on natural forests for the supply of charcoal.