Bamboo as sustainable biomass energy:
A suitable alternative for firewood and charcoal production in Africa
Context/Summary
The African continent increasingly depends on wood and charcoal for cooking and
heating homes. In 2000, nearly 470 million tons of wood were consumed in homes in
sub-Saharan Africa in the form of firewood and charcoal, more wood per capita than any
other region in the world. Ethiopia and Ghana are two African countries where more than
90% of all households rely on fire wood and charcoal - as the primary energy source for
domestic cooking and other productive activities. In Ethiopia, 90% of forest removal is
associated with firewood and the production of 3.2 million tons of charcoal, which
increasingly contributes to the country’s overall deforestation rates of 141,000 hectares
per year. In Ghana in 2004, 7 million tons of wood were used to produce approximately
1.4 million tons of charcoal, contributing to annual deforestation of 115,000 hectares.
The demand for wood as biomass for fuel wood and charcoal making represents a threat
to the use of resources in both countries and is expected to remain unchanged for many
decades to come. This demand is influenced by low household incomes, urbanization,
and the growth of informal sector activities.
In China, India, Vietnam and Thailand, bamboo has been shown to serve as a viable
and more sustainable alternative biomass fuel. Due to its extremely fast growing
properties, woody nature, high-tensile strength, and carbon sequestration rates, bamboo
is an ideal sustainable alternative biomass fuel. Bamboo can serve as a viable
alternative biomass for firewood and charcoal at the household level in Africa. This
project will promote bamboo as a renewable energy biomass and will address the
following problems in Ethiopia and Ghana.
1. Current unsustainable use of wood as biomass for firewood and charcoal making
2. Increased charcoal production results in major ecological consequences
(deforestation, reduction of carbon sequestration, loss of biodiversity and
desertification)
3. Prohibitive policies and regulatory mechanisms support inefficient firewood and
charcoal production activities
4. Lack of technologies and incentives to develop sustainable energy from biomass
Geographical location
Ethiopia (State of Benishangul Gumuz, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples
Regional State and Amhara National Regional State)
Ghana (Western Region)
Objectives
 To increase the use of bamboo as a source of energy for the poor of Ethiopia
and Ghana thereby providing a more sustainable, environmentally friendly and
economical option to firewood and wood charcoal.
 To develop over a four year period the bamboo resource base in Ethiopia and
Ghana so that appropriate varieties are available for long-term firewood and
charcoal use
 To develop over a four year period a small-scale private bamboo firewood and
charcoal sector to ensure appropriate supply for target populations
 To put into place the institutional support needed for bamboo to be widely
adopted as each country's primary source of energy for the poor, through
development of appropriate policies, capacity building and awareness raising.
Expected Results
 By the end of the project period a sustainable local resource base for bamboo
will be in place in both Ethiopia and Ghana, sufficient to supply households and
small enterprises to substitute bamboo for firewood and charcoal.
 At least 30,000 households will be using bamboo as their energy source, and at
least 1,000 micro and small enterprises (MSEs) producing bamboo charcoal.
 By the end of the project, both governments will have issued policy
recommendations, and at least one national level MSE association in each
country will be in place.
Main activities
 Conduct an inventory analysis of bamboo resources.
 Introduce 5 bamboo species in 2 pilot demonstration sites.
 Develop and trial sustainable bamboo plantation management systems in 5 pilot
sites.
 Carry out SWOT analyses for bamboo firewood and charcoal.
 Establish 3 bamboo charcoal technology centres/5 pilot sites to demonstrate best
firewood practices and construction and operation technologies for bamboo
charcoal production.
 Establish Bamboo Charcoal MSE associations.
 Develop national marketing strategies for bamboo charcoal.
 Undertake review of relevant policy, legislation, to identify gaps, requirements,
and develop policy recommendations on community-based bamboo
firewood/charcoal production.
 Train over 6,000 targeted beneficiaries on bamboo cultivation, sustainable
firewood use, and charcoal technologies. Disseminate/mainstreaming of policy
recommendations on community-based bamboo firewood/ charcoal production
through workshops.
Target groups
Low income local households in targeted Ethiopian/Ghanaian urban and rural
communities, low income charcoal producers and micro small enterprises (MSEs) as
well as MSEs involved in charcoal production, local transportation, distribution and trade,
and members of government institutions and staff of partners (national research centres,
Universities and NGOs)
Final Beneficiaries
Rural communities, local households and farmers in Ethiopia and Ghana will benefit
from an alternative sustainable source of energy to meet their everyday energy needs,
ultimately achieving energy security.
Funding Partner
European Commission
Main Implementing Agency:
The International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR)
Implementing Partners
The Rural Energy Development and Promotion Centre (EREDPC-Ethiopia)
The Federal Micro and Small Enterprises Development Agency (FeMSEDA-Ethiopia)
The Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG-Ghana)
The Bamboo and Rattan Development Programme (BARADEP-Ghana)
Nanjing Forestry University (NFU-China)
International Network for Bamboo and Rattan
Email:
info@inbar.int
Website:
www.inbar.int