What are the evolutions for domestic energy consumption and natural resource management in the supply basins of the large cities of the south?

Abstract

For this issue of Bois et Forêts des Tropiques, the editor reviews the research and activities on fuelwood that he and his team have undertaken in Africa over the last forty years. A forward scenario is proposed that explains how these activities – some focusing on forestry, agroforestry and biofuels, others on social, economic and legal aspects – have complemented each other. He shows that in the 1990s, for demographic reasons, demand for fuelwood first caught up with and then exceeded the productive capacity of regions supplying large cities in the Sahel. Attempts were subsequently made by various government departments, NGOs and other projects to reduce fuelwood consumption, improve the management of natural forest stands and restore agroforestry systems. Although these attempts have slowed down the degradation of natural resources and are satisfying urban needs for domestic fuel while providing income for rural families, degradation is continuing almost everywhere and demand is only being met by depleting productive forest capital. The proposal made for the future is that in order to avoid social unrest in cities due to domestic fuel scarcities while continuing to guarantee an income for rural people, it is essential to combine energy efficiency policies with measures to restore and manage agroforestry systems. The share of domestic fuel that exceeds the productive capacities of fuelwood supply basins has to be substituted, and this will demand changes in national policies on land, taxation and subsidies and the introduction of regional planning measures.