skip to main content

Woodfuel in Rwanda: Impact on Energy, Poverty, Environment and Policy Instruments analysis

National University of Rwanda, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Rwanda

Published: 15 Feb 2014.
Editor(s):

Citation Format:
Abstract

Rwanda’s geographical and socio-economic situations have shaped the energy situation and limited access to modern fuels. Woodfuel is the main source of energy for households and its trade a source of income and jobs in rural areas. Currently 85.2% of households’ land holding is less than 1 ha, insufficient to grow food and fuelwood for a household of the average size of 5.5 persons. Without well documented reports of the individual impact of each deforestation factor, woodfuels have been most blamed. This paper investigates how the current woodfuel industry impacts on energy, poverty and forests and analyses the woodfuel policy instruments. Considering woodfuel consumption under an only environmental or energy perspective has resulted in a search for a narrowly environmental or energy solution. Both failed to solve the problem of forest depletion. Current regulations limit the benefits traditionally derived from woodfuel commoditisation leading to a negative attitude towards policy instruments. The processes involved in producing charcoal and using it as a cooking fuel is inefficient and resource intensive. The barriers to large dissemination of improved cooking stoves include availability, relatively low cost of woodfuels, lack of improved stove diversity on the local market and weak government policy in regard to the woodfuel industry. Policies aiming to substitute or reduce woodfuel consumption, have not achieved the desired results and their implementations have not unarguably reduced deforestation. The paper recommends the community-based woodfuel production as sustainable management approaches to mobilise community support for sustainable forestry management and woodfuel production.

Fulltext View|Download
Keywords: Energy, Policies, Poverty; woodfuels;bans; forest degradation

Article Metrics:

  1. Butare, A.& Hughes, M. (2004)Energy biomass supply survey. Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning,Kigali, Rwanda
  2. CGISR-NUR (2007)National Forest Mapping. Butare, National University of Rwanda, Rwanda
  3. Diamond, J. (2005)Collapse. Penguin, London, UK.Gahigi, M. (2009) Peat mining saves CIMERWA. The Newtimes. Retrieved June 12, 2009, http:// www.newtimes.co.rw
  4. GTZ (2008) Rwanda biomass energy strategy: Executive summary. Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit, Kigali, Rwanda
  5. IEA (2010)Energy poverty: How to make modern energy access universal. International Energy Agency,Paris, France
  6. ISAR(2007)Inventaire des ressources ligneuses au Rwanda. Kigali, Rwanda: Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Rwanda
  7. Kamweti, D. (1984)Fuelwood in Eastern Africa: Present Situation and Prospects.FAO W/R 0064,Rome.Kebede,
  8. E., Kagochi, J. & Jolly, C.M. (2010)Energy consumption and economic developmentin sub-Sahara Africa. Energy Economics, 32(3), 532-537
  9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2010.02.003
  10. Leach, G. M. (2009) Beyond the woodfuel Crisis people, land and trees in Africa. Earthscan,London
  11. Marcoux, A. (2000)Population and deforestation. Rome, Italy: Population and the environment.FAO
  12. Mazimpaka, E. (2010)Rwanda Facing a Woodfuel Crisis. International Conference on Domestic Usage of Energy(pp. 33-40). Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town
  13. MINICOFIN (2007)Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy. Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning,Kigali, Rwanda
  14. MINICOFIN(2009) Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) Implementation Report. Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Kigali, Rwanda
  15. MINITRAPE(1993) Bulletin des Statistiques Energétiques du Rwanda, Edition 1992. Ministère des Traveaux Publics et de l'Energie, Kigali, Rwanda
  16. MININFRA (2007)Rwanda Biomass Energy Strategy,Volume 2-Analysis. Ministry of Infrastructure, Kigali, Rwanda
  17. MININFRA (2009) Biomass Energy Strategy,Volume 3: Rural Supply and Demand. Ministry of Infrastructure, Kigali, Rwanda
  18. Miranda, R.,Sepp, S., Ceccon, E., Mann, S. & Singh, B. (2010)Sustainable production of commercial woodfuel: Lessons and guidance from two strategies. Energy Sector Management Assistance Program, Washington, DC
  19. Mugo, F., & Ong, C. (2006). Lessons of eastern Africa's unsustainable charcoal trade.ICRAF working paper no. 20. World Agroforestry Centre, Nairobi, Kenya
  20. https://doi.org/10.5716/WP06119.PDF
  21. Mwampamba,T.H. (2007)Has thewoodfuel crisis returned? Urbancharcoal consumption in Tanzaniaand its implications to present and future forest availability. Energy Policy, 19(2007) 4221-4234,doi: 10.106/j.enpol.2007.02.10.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2007.02.010
  22. NISR (2008a)Demographic statistics. National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
  23. NISR (2008b)Rwanda in statistics and figures.National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
  24. NISR (2010)Rwanda Development Indicator 2009. National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
  25. ProBEC (2008) A synthesis report on biomass energy consumption and avalability in South Africa. Pretoria, Programme for Basic Energy and Conservation in Southern Africa
  26. REMA (2009)Rwanda state of environment and outlook. Rwanda Environment Management Authority, Kigali, Rwanda
  27. Statistics South Africa. (2007)Community survey 2007. Statistics South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
  28. UNDP (2009b) The energy access situation in developing countries: a review focusing on the least developed countries and sub-Sahara Africa. United Nations DevelopmentProgramme, New York
  29. UPEGAZ(2004)Physico-chemical study of Lake Kivu. Unit for the Production andExploitation of Lake Kivu Gaz., Kigali, Rwanda
  30. WB (2008)Building sciences, technology and innovation in Rwanda: Developing pratical solutions to pratical problems.World Bank Author, Kigali, Rwanda
  31. Zulu, L. (2010)Theforbidden fuel: Charcoal, urban woodfuel demand and supply dynamics, communityforest management and woodfuel policy in Malawi. Energy Policy,38(2), 3717-3730. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2010.02.05
  32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2010.02.050

Last update:

  1. Insights from an energy poor Rwandan village

    T. van Gevelt, C. Canales Holzeis, B. Jones, M.T. Safdar. Energy for Sustainable Development, 32 , 2016. doi: 10.1016/j.esd.2016.03.002
  2. A review of water-forest-energy-food security nexus data and assessment of studies in East Africa

    Boscow Okumu, Anderson Gwanyebit Kehbila, Philip Osano. Current Research in Environmental Sustainability, 3 , 2021. doi: 10.1016/j.crsust.2021.100045
  3. Overview of Rwanda Energy Sector: From Energy Shortage to Sufficiency

    Janvier Munyaneza, Muhammad Wakeel, Bin Chen. Energy Procedia, 104 , 2016. doi: 10.1016/j.egypro.2016.12.037

Last update: 2024-03-28 08:08:35

  1. Insights from an energy poor Rwandan village

    T. van Gevelt, C. Canales Holzeis, B. Jones, M.T. Safdar. Energy for Sustainable Development, 32 , 2016. doi: 10.1016/j.esd.2016.03.002