Introduction
Tanzania is one among the poorest
countries in the world (World Bank, 2006), there are various
challenges prevent people in Tanzania to access efficient sources of energy or
technologies. As a result, the majority of people in the areas use kerosene and
firewood for lighting and cooking Use of such sources of energy produces a gas
that contributes to unwanted climate change and leads to emission of smoke
which is said to cause cancer. Women and children are the main victims of
cancer caused by smoke. Fuel wood
gathered from forested areas is the most important source of domestic energy
for the developing world (Heltberg et al. 2000).
African countries still
heavily rely on fuel wood to meet their basic energy needs. An estimated 60-85%
of Africans use fuel wood as their primary source of fuel (FAO, 2009). In
Tanzania, 90% of the total energy consumption (biomass, petroleum, electricity,
coal) is fuel wood, in most rural households, women collect and consume fuel wood
for household use (FAO, 1995).
Definitions
of key terms
Wood
fuel is wood used as fuel which can be available as firewood, charcoal, chips, sheets, pellets, and sawdust (http://arushatimes.co.tz/ -).
Firewood
is
any wooden material that is gathered and used for fuel. Generally, firewood is
not highly processed and is in some sort of recognizable log or branch form,
compared to other forms of wood fuel like pellets or chips (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/firewood).
There are so many reasons which make
Tanzania to use firewood for many decades, the following are some reasons which
cause Tanzanians to depend on firewood.
Inefficient energy
technologies to be used by rural people, for example Sokoine
University and the University of Dar es Salaam have developed a substantial
body of scientific knowledge and expertise on particularly renewable energy
sources and technologies but still it is un affordable. In particular, the
partners involved in provision of energy services have not develop practical
and sustainable credit facilities to enable members of communities to access
energy saving stoves, high tech technologies such as solar systems and biogas
plants.
Poor efforts to enable
rural people to access efficient energy, the government and partners include District Councils,
government institutions and national programmes have not made enough effort to
help people to access alternative source of energy. Other partners are NGOs,
the private sector, universities, commercial national forest plantations. Government
institutions include the Ministry of Energy and Minerals that can be charged to
establish a framework for energy needs in Tanzania.
The high poverty levels are
attributed to income inequality and a relatively low rate of economic growth in
rural areas. The young, the old and large households
are more likely to be poor. Women’s income levels are half those for men;
approximately 60 percent of women in Tanzania are estimated to live in poverty The rural poor, who make up 87
percent of the poor, survive largely
through subsistence agriculture, with heavy dependence on one crop (such as
maize or cassava), there is no credit
facilities which can be are invested to acquire renewable energy technologies
such as solar systems and biogas technologies which are expensive for many
people in rural areas (USAID, 2004).
Poor Government support in agriculture
sector, as the leading economic sector, agriculture
accounts for 45 percent of GDP and,
in the past three years, for about 60 percent of export earnings. It also provides livelihoods for 82 percent of
the population. The sale of agricultural products has been the main source of cash income for 62 percent of
Tanzanian households, and agriculture provides
approximately 50 percent of total household income. In the majority of
Tanzania’s rural areas, around 60 to
80 percent of adults report agriculture as their main activity. On and off farm
earnings depend on a strong agriculture
sector as well as other rural sectors, including forestry, wildlife, fisheries,
and tourism as a result they cannot afford other type of energy sources like
gas and electricity.
Ignorance among the people,
some of Tanzanian has no enough education, and 29 percent can neither read nor
write. In rural areas, 30 percent of the population has no education. A
significant rise has taken place in the proportion of households headed by a
woman, and women are about twice as likely as men to have no education. Rural
women are particularly disadvantaged; 41% percent are unable to read or write, as
a result most of people rely on firewood as one the source of energy.
High population pressure and to meet
urban energy demands contributes significantly to deforestation.
The demand for firewood for curing tobacco is also high. With few exceptions,
most of the fuel wood used in the country is collected free from indigenous miombo woodlands or farmlands, most
of the urban people use charcoal as a source of energy for cooking and
industrial activities.
Source of income, livelihoods and
supporting poverty reduction, in many areas of Tanzania
farmers who are involving in charcoal making have no alternative sources of
income, In Mazombe, (Iringa region), about 150 charcoal workers had produced
between 45000 to 50000 bags in 1987.
Dependence by resource, poor households on cash income from the sale of forest
products, such as charcoal, honey, wild fruits, and firewood appears to be
another important source of income (Howlett, 2005).
Conclusion
Introduction of technologies at commercial premises would improve productive activities thereby reducing poverty in rural areas. Installation of small turbines to generate hydroelectricity can be considered where streams exist. Justin Mungure in Makumira university Arusha is an expert in the field ecological degradation is evident, especially in arid and semiarid areas, largely due to increasing populations and low-intensity agricultural practices, such as shifting cultivation.
Poor access
to specific activities would involve energy needs assessment in the communities
and installation of renewable energy systems at public institutions.
Installations of technologies at public centers and institutions would improve
education and communication like internet since members of the communities,
students and teachers would be able to read effectively during the night.
References
Food
and Agriculture Organization FAO, (2003). State of Forest and Tree Genetic
Resources in
Dry Zone
Howlett. D,
(2005), Mainstreaming Environment into Tanzania’s National Strategy for Growth
and Reduction of Poverty, Unpublished
monograph.
National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty or
MKUKUTA4 (Tanzania 2005)
Resources Working Papers, Forest
Resources Development Service, Forest Resources Division.
Rome.
Southern Africa Development
Community Countries. Compiled by B. I. Nyoka. Forest Genetic
U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID). 2004. Tanzania Country Strategic
Plan
FY 2005–2014: Improving the
Quality of Life in Tanzania. USAID, Washington, DC.
World Bank. (2006), Atlas method and PPP, World
Development Indicators database.
http://arushatimes.co.tz/ -retrieved on
3/4/2014 at 12:01 pm
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/firewood-retrieved
on 3/4/2014 at 12:01 pm
Written By AUSI CHIWAMBO (2014)-Teofilo Kisanji University
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