Households’ woodfuel consumption and deforestation in Morogoro and Songea Districts, Tanzania

Abstract

There paucity of empirical evidence of deforestation attributable to household wood fuel consumption hampers effective strategy to reduce wood consumption and mitigate climate change impacts.  The objectives of the study were to: (i) obtain households’ characteristics, (ii) determine quantity of charcoal consumption, (iii) determine quantity of firewood consumption, (iv) estimate deforestation due to charcoal consumption; (v) estimate deforestation due to firewood consumption, and (vi) estimate environmental cost of deforestation. Data were collected using household questionnaire survey, focus group discussion, key informant interview, direct measurements of household fuels and researcher’s direct observation. Data were analysed using SPSS and Excel statistical computer programmes. The findings reveal that charcoal consumption is estimated at 3.50±0.26kg/household/day (256±18/capita/year) and firewood consumption at 7.30±0.46 kg/household/day (533±33kg/capita/year). Deforestation attributable to charcoal consumption was 1.20–4.80 (× 10^-4) ha/household/day [0.88–3.49 (× 10^-2) ha/capita/year]. Deforestation attributable to firewood consumption was 6.85–33.07 (× 10^-6) ha/household/day [5.01–24.12 (× 10^-4) ha/capita/year].  The net deforestation was 3.37-21.59 ha/household/day. Findings suggested that woodfuel contribute 49% of total deforestation. and cost of deforestation was US$ 6,252,012.  The study recommends that woodfuel production and consumption technologies need improvements