ABSTRACT
In Chapter 1 we examined some of the problems associated with existing attempts to solve the fuelwood problem. This highlighted the limitations of technical innovations such as improved stoves, peri-urban plantations, improved residue use for domestic energy consumption and new and renewable technologies. Subsequently we outlined a different approach and then went on to explore how something similar was already being developed on the ground within the region. What lessons can be drawn from these experiences of improving woody-biomass management within the SADCC region? The first and most obvious point is that it is no good identifying one small symptom, such as a fuelwood shortage, when the causes of the problem are more deep-seated and far-reaching. The difficulty in gaining access to fuelwood is one small manifestation of a broader crisis of rural development and, in many cases, of a declining subsistence base in a period of rapid transition. The key to addressing the causes, rather than the symptoms, is to examine ways of improving land-use management. SADCC has stated as one of its key priorities, the "introduction of land utilization and management practices which are geared to maintaining and improving the productivity of cropland, grazing land and forests".' This volume suggests some ways in which this can be achieved.
