Abstract:
This study was conducted in Shinyanga Rural district, Tanzania to assess the woodfuel
consumption at the household level. Specifically, its objectives were to identify woodfuel
supply sources, species and uses as well as to determine the quantity of woodfuel consumed
by households. Furthermore, factors influencing woodfuel consumption were also assessed.
Data were collected through household’s questionnaires, checklists, and participant
observations. The Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using the Statistical
Package for Social Sciences software tools. Findings showed that the natural forests and
man made forests were the ideal supply sources of woodfuel. Results also revealed that
about 65 tree species were recorded and botanically identified for woodfuel production.
Woodfuel was found as major energy source for cooking in the study area. However, due to
woodfuel scarcity, crop residues and cow dung are also used as options at households for
cooking particularly during the dry and harvesting periods. Furthermore, the total amounts
fuelwood and charcoal consumed by the households were estimated at 711 m3 and 204 m3
per year while, fuelwood and charcoal per capita consumption were estimated at 0.67 m3
and 0.14 m3 respectively. Moreover, results revealed that, household’s family size and
household’s occupation significantly showed positive linear relationship with woodfuel
consumption at (p < 0.05). Whilst, education level and wooodfuel collection time at (p <
0.05) had no significant relationship with the quantity of woodfuel consumed. Basically, it
was observed that woodfuel supply situations among the surveyed households most were
experiencing deficit. It is burden for the collectors and also it is unenvironmentally friendly
since its collection involves cutting small trees and shrubs which are at regenerating stage
for tree growth development. In order to ensure sustainable supply of woodfuel it is
recommended that the use of improved cooking stoves, tree planting, encourage
agroforestry farming system as well as community awareness rising on woodfuel scarcity
implication to surroundings and livelihood of households, be promoted.
