Charcoal Production in Malawi (free report)by Prince Foley | 12-04-2022 01:36 |
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  Malawi faces serious and worsening linked problems of unsustainable energy supply and environmental problems that significantly undermine economic development potential. With dependency rates on charcoal and firewood already among the highest in the world, alternative energy sources underdeveloped, and population growing rapidly, biomass fuels will remain a major part of Malawi¡¯s energy mix for decades to come. Charcoal in Malawi is largely an urban fuel used by 11.3% of all households nationally and 54% of urban households in 2015. Still, charcoal supports livelihoods of many rural Malawians, and our rural communities bear the disproportionate burden of deforestation, reduced wood supply and environmental degradation. To date, corrective efforts have focused narrowly on prohibition of charcoal production, which has promoted illegality in production, transportation and marketing. Nearly every Malawian household (97%) relies on firewood or charcoal as their primary source of cooking and heating fuel. With alternative fuel sources underdeveloped, firewood and charcoal will continue to form a significant part of Malawi¡¯s energy mix for the next few decades. Firewood remains the most used cooking fuel (88% of households), but charcoal now predominates in urban areas (54%). Within this context the demand for charcoal and firewood is driving deforestation and forest degradation in Malawi, and is undermining agricultural productivity and food security, water security, and hydroelectric generating capacity leaving the country more vulnerable to climate shocks. However to curb the impacts of deforestation, climate change, and environmental degradation in Malawi caused by illegal charcoal production there is need to: 1. Promote adoption of alternative cooking and heating fuels 2. Stimulate wide-scale adoption of fuel-efficient charcoal and firewood cookstoves 3. Significantly increase sustainable wood production, specifically for biomass energy production 4. Effectively enforce laws and regulations to limit, and eventually stop illegal charcoal production 5. Promote and regulate legal (licensed) charcoal production, transport and sale 6. Enhance the livelihoods of Malawians in ways that can be sustained over time and, 7. Ensure that the information, awareness and communications required to change behavior and increase adoption are available. References 1. Satellitbild. 1993. Forest Resources Mapping and Biomass Assessment for Malawi, Sattelitbild/Department of Forestry, Lilongwe, Malawi. 2. Openshaw, K., 1997. Urban Biomass Fuels: Production, Transportation and Trading Study. A Consolidated Report. Ministry of Energy and Mining, Lilongwe, Malawi. 3. ESU. 1983. Malawi Rural Energy Survey. Energy Studies Unit (ESU), Lilongwe, Malawi. |
