Energy planning and wood balances

Abstract

Woodfuel balances are commonly used by energy planners in developing countries to determine the adequacy of woodfuel resources. Recently, critics have argued that wood balances are misleading in their simplicity, exaggerating both the severity of the woodfuel shortage and the need for planned interventions to solve that problem. This paper examines four different wood balances developed for Tanzania. While the four studies all indicate that areas with miombo woodlands are in the greatest wood surplus, the specific estimates for any given region may differ widely. Despite their shortcomings, energy planners need woodfuel balances to give an impression of the adequacy of woodfuel resources. However, if energy planning is to have any effect, these balances must represent the beginning, and not the end result, of the planning process. Planners must follow the wood‐energy balance analysis with work utilizing local people to solve local problems.

An assessment of biofuel use and burning of agricultural waste in the developing world

“…Ethiopia is classified in the Eastern/Southern Drylands region, but straddles the Eastern Highlands region; the per capita consumption of 1.84 kg/cap/day is somewhat high for the Eastern/Southern Drylands region. For Tanzania, Hosier et al [1990] compared the results of four major reports on woodfuel balances, including Kaale [1983] on districts facing wood-deficit, Openshaw's [1984] analysis based on surveys in the 1970s, a World Bank Energy Sector Management Husin et al [1987], Salam [1987], and Shamsuddin and Nor [1987]. Kituyi et al [1999] conducted extensive surveys in both rural and urban regions of Kenya in early 1997 using Hosier's methods and estimated a rate of 1.75 kg/cap/day.…”

“…Malawi [WB, 1982g], Uganda [O' Keefe, 1990], and Zambia [WB, 1983a] have extensive forest reserves. Kenya has productive forest land in the central highlands [Senelwa and Hall, 1993], and Tanzania has about 40% forest cover, much of this miombo woodlands [Hosier et al, 1990;WB, 1984n].…”

“…[59] In Tanzania the rural areas depend almost exclusively on wood for fuel, despite a number of wood-deficit regions in the country [Hosier et al, 1990]. We assigned its millet, sorghum, and maize residues to reflect this, prescribing only 15% for household fuel use.…”