In Madagascar, the energy consumption accounts 25% of household expenses. And 80% of the energies used are wood-energies. Recently, the total annual wood consumption amounts to 18.3millions m³. Among these woods, 56% are directly used as firewood and 44% are converted into charcoal. However, the harvestable woods in natural forests amount to 8.12 million m³ per year and 1.05 million m³ per year are from 150 000ha of reforestation for energy purposes. It is thus found that there is overexploitation in wood-energy in Madagascar. In view of this situation, what measures have been taken?

First of all, the woods exploited are from three kinds of sources. Such as, the pleasant plantation of Eucalyptus spread in 140 000Ha in the Central Highlands the natural forests more exploited at Mahajanga (in the West), Taolagnaro (East Southern), Antsiranana (Nourth), Toliara (West Southern) and industrial plantations extended Moramanga, Alaotra Mangoro Region by FANALAMANGA society.

Then, the State?s New Policy of Energy (NPE) is aiming to reduce the overexploitation of wood-energies in Madagascar by implementing reforestation programs, supporting a sustainable management of the wood-energy sector by combining better regulation of the marketing and promotion circuits of alternative energy to wood-energy. In this context, the product ?Saribao Turbo? was born. It is substitute energy of charcoal composed of fine coal, organic waste and binders. This organic coal therefore helps to reduce the use of wood for the production of coals.

Finally, the NPE promote that 70% of household should use economic stoves by 2030, but currently, only 8% used that. Using this kind of stove will reduce the timber harvesting to 50%. Many projects and manufacturers promote the economic stoves. Among that there are stoves from ADES. It reduces the wood ?consumption to 50% and its lifespan is 3 to 5 years.

Those are some solutions adopted in Madagascar to reduce the timber harvesting and to allow the population to use sustainable wood-energy. But the wood-energy is cheaper than others that are why, the forests are overexploited.

Sources:

http://www.lagazette-dgi.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35776:foyer-economiquepeu-utilise-par-les-malgaches&catid=45&Itemid=110

http://www.adesolaire.org/index.php/fr/l-ades-a-madagascar-fr/benefices-pour-l-environnement-et-la-societe-fr

http://www.ore.mg/Publication/Rapports/LettreDePolitique.pdf

http://www.midi-madagasikara.mg/societe/2014/02/27/combustible-domestique-saribao-turbo-du-charbon-propre-economique/