Rural progress : Vol.XII, No.1,1993

Abstract

The solutions to cope with wood energy production are neither simple nor cheap Rather, a combination of linked policies, such as hydraulic energy production/distribution, forest management, solar and wind energy gas and kerosene, and policy coordination must be utilized in order to maximize energy production for Africa. Despite a progressive utilization of other sources of energy, the continent continues to depend primarily on forest and ligneous vegetation for Its energy production and will continue to do so for the next four or five decades at least while the rate of urbanization Increases Energy sources must, therefore, be diversified In 1992, fuel wood and charcoal production amounted to 480 million cubic metres. Meaning that the contribution from forests to the per capita energy consumption was about 54 per cent In other words, energy consumption from fuel wood and charcoal amounted to the equivalent of 750 million barrels of oil (BOE) The relevance and Impact of this must be fully understood by foresters and policy makers alike In order to design new and realistic long-term frameworks on energy generation and utilization.