CHARCOAL PRODUCTION ACTIVITY COMPROMISE ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE, CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN TANZANIA

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1 CHARCOAL PRODUCTION ACTIVITY COMPROMISE ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE, CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN TANZANIA UISSO, A.J. 1 BALAMA, C. 2 1 Tanzania Forestry Research Institute (TAFORI), P. o. Box 1854, Morogoro, Tanzania, uissoaj@yahoo.com 2 Tanzania Forestry Research Institute (TAFORI), P. o. Box 1854, Morogoro, Tanzania, balamapc@yahoo.co.uk SUMMARY Charcoal production activities have been proven to result into deforestation in developing countries and Tanzania in particular. This paper however is intended to inform the public on the charcoal production activity as it compromise environmental compliance, conservation and management strategies in Mwidu village in Tanzania. Findings revealed that consumption of trees from the village forests for charcoal production alone is as much as 180tons per month. Charcoal is sold to traders and consumers from urban areas of Morogoro and Dar es Salaam. Charcoal business seems to support the livelihood of the rural people in the village and it seems to be an alternative economic activity that requires low capital and operation costs. Non compliance to environmental conservation to some extent is not ignorance of the environmental regulations or lack of environmental education or awareness. The study recommends that the Government should create awareness and control the price of alternative energy in urban areas where the most people are the main users of charcoal. There is a need to initiate alternative income generation activities. Need to initiate tree planting programme in areas where they are not. Areas for tree planting need to be emphasized in land use plans for the villages. The Government also, should identify and recognize charcoal burners in areas where they are not and being educated on environmental issues and being issued with license. There is a need for the Government to enhance implementation of the environmental laws in the country. 1 INTRODUCTION Compliance with environmental conservation and management strategies in Tanzania is one of the major challenge facing the utilization, management and conservation of natural resources in the country. Tanzania faces increasing land degradation and deforestation because of everyday human activities which place extreme pressure on natural resources that are important to the livelihood of the Tanzanian people. Charcoal production activities have been proven to result into deforestation in developing countries and Tanzania in particular. It is estimated that in Africa over 90 % of the wood taken from forests is woodfuel. More than 80 % of it is used in urban areas making charcoal the most important source of household energy in many African urban areas. Wood energy accounts for over 90% of total energy consumption in Tanzania (UNEP, 1988). For example from 1997 to 2000 in the city of Dar-es-Salaam people used as much as tones of charcoal per year (Samir, 1997 and Pereira, 2001 in Seidel, 2008)This article is based on a literature review and a case study of charcoal production 1

2 activities in Mwidu Village which undermine environmental compliance, conservation and management strategies in Tanzania. 2 CHARCOAL PRODUCTION ACTIVITY AS NON-COMPLIANCE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION STRATEGIES Mwidu Village is near the main road from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro in Ubena Zomozi ward and Msoga Division in Bagamoyo District in the Coast Region of Tanzania. According to a socio-economic survey of land use planning for the Mwidu Village in the year (Bagamoyo District Council, 2006), it was revealed that charcoal production is one of the economic activities in the village. This activity, in most cases, is done illegally and charcoal burners access the forest freely to obtain wood to make charcoal. The survey revealed and average charcoal production rate of about 250 sacks per month. Most of this charcoal leaves the village to markets in urban areas especially Dar es Salaam city and Morogoro municipality for domestic uses. The average weight for each sack of charcoal is about 60kg. This is equivalent to about 15tons of charcoal per month (Bagamoyo District Council, 2006). Research has established that existing technology can create one ton of charcoal from 12 tons of wood. Improved technologies may reduce this requirement to 9 tons. This means that, the consumption of trees from the village forests for charcoal making alone can be up to180 tons per month - (Bagamoyo District Council, 2006). This strain on the forest could be mitigated if there were efforts to replace the trees used in the making of charcoal, yet this remains unpractical due to low enforcement of the regulations and laws and poor utilization and management of forest resource. Photo 1: Sacks of charcoal arranged ready for sellling to traders and cosumers from urban areas 2

3 Despite the existence of policies and legal frameworks such as the National Land Policy (1995), National Environmental Policy(1997), National Land Act (1999), National Village Land Act (1999), National Forest Act (2002) and National Environmental Management Act (2004) which are either directly or indirectly related to conservation and management of natural resources, the problem still exists. It has been argued that poverty in rural communities and the increasing demand for cooking energy for the growing urban population has contributed to the thriving of charcoal production activities often linked to environmental degradation. Firewood and charcoal accouts for 92% of the primary energy consumed (Monela et al 1999: Kaale 1998). High prices for alternative cooking energy, like kerosene, electricity, and gas, have also contributed to high demand for charcoal in urban areas- a cheaper source of energy, Others attribute the increase in charcoal making to the relatively low capital and operation costs, which make it accessible to many people, even the very poor. Climate change resulting in temperature increases, droughts and low rainfall result in low crop productivity and sometimes complete failure, is also suggested to be a driver of charcoal production as an alternative livelihood activity. So it must be understood that the problem of non-compliance with environmental conservation and management in many cases is not ignorance of the environmental regulations, lack of environmental education or awareness rather the villagers need to produce charcoal for business that they can earn income to sustain their lives. The main challenge remains how to produce charcoal for economic gain while conserving the environment and sustaining supply of charcoal for future generation. 3 WAY FORWARD To better manage this problem, the demand for charcoal in urban areas should be reduced; this could be accomplished by reducing and controlling the costs of alternative sources of energy like kerosene, electricity and gas. There is a need to introduce improved and affordable stoves and solar power in areas where such technologies are not yet in use. It is also important to develop activities that address community s socio- economic needs in order to initiate alternative income generating activities for those who depend on forest for their livelihoods. Creating funding mechanism and initiatives that promote tree planting programs for charcoal burners and others is of great important in order to avoid deforestation while ensuring a sustainable supply of charcoal. Areas for planting tree should be given priority when designing land use plans for villages. The government should emphasize a strategy of cut one tree and plant three trees which is commonly known as kata mti panda mti by most of Tanzanian. The national tree planting day which is on every 1 st April each year should be emphasized and encouraged among charcoal burners and timely assessment need to be done to know number of trees planted per year. The government should identify and recognize charcoal burners in areas where not, educated on environmental issues and being issued with license, this will facilitate in the management of the charcoal making activities and hence reducing deforestation. Finally, there is a great need to introduce improved kilns in areas where they are not yet in use in order to reduce the amount of trees consumed in charcoal production. Currently, there is a technology on improved kiln for charcoal production called Cassamance Earthmoud Kiln being 3

4 promoted by Tanzania Forestry Research Institute within the country. Some of the charcoal burners have already started using the improved technology in Mkundi village in Morogoro. 4 CONCLUSION Conclusively, it is agreed that charcoal production activity in Mwidu village is non compliance to environmental conservation strategies in Tanzania. However, Charcoal business seems to support the livelihood of the rural people in the village and it seems to be an alternative economic activity that requires low capital and operation costs. The Government should create awareness and control the price of alternative energy in urban areas where the most people are the main users of charcoal. There is a need to initiate alternative income generation activities. Need to initiate tree planting programme in areas where they are not, however with climate change how these trees are going to survive? Need to adapt to the climate change effects urgently. Areas for tree planting need to be emphasized in land use plans for the villages. The Government also, should identify and recognize charcoal burners in areas where they are not and being educated on environmental issues and being issued with license. There is a need for the Government to enhance implementation of the environmental laws in the country. 5 REFERENCES Bagamoyo District Council. (2006) Participatory Land use Plan for Mwidu Village. Danish Hunters Association Wami Mbiki Wildlife Management Area, Morogoro, Tanzania. Kaale, B. K. (1998). Sustainability of energy supply to the majority of the Tanzanian population. Paper presented at the workshop on increased production and use of improved charcoal stoves and ovens for improved energy services. Tanzania Traditional Energy Development and Environment (TaTEDO). Monela, G.C. and Kihiyo, V. B. (1999). Wood energy in sub Saharan Africa. In Palo.M. and Uusivuoni, J. (eds). World Forest Society and Environment. Kluwer Academic Publishers London. Seidel A. (2008) Charcoal in Africa Importance, Problems and Possible Solution Strategies. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH, Household Energy Programme HERA. Eschborn UNEP. (1988). Strategy Resource Planning Vol III: Forests, Nairobi: United Nations Environment Programme United Republic of Tanzania (URT). (1995). National Land Policy. Tanzania Government United Republic of Tanzania (URT). (1997). National Environmental Policy. Tanzania Government 4

5 United Republic of Tanzania (URT). (1999). National Land Act. Tanzania Government Printers, Dar es salaam, Tanzania. United Republic of Tanzania (URT). (1999). National Village Land Act. Tanzania Government United Republic of Tanzania (URT). (2001). National Forest Act. Tanzania Government United Republic of Tanzania (URT). (2004). National Environmental Management Act. Tanzania Government. 5