ABSTRACT
A high proportion of the population in sub-Saharan Africa is dependent on traditional energy sources (firewood, charcoal and organic wastes). The share of biomass fuels in national energy consumption in the majority of dry forest and woodland countries is large, with ranges of 35–75 per cent in many countries (e.g. Senegal, Togo, Ivory Coast and Angola) and over 75 per cent in many others (e.g. Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, DRC and Nigeria). Access to modern or commercial energy sources by households is very low, at about 10 per cent, and the energy future does not appear bright for the majority of the African people. For example, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development only proposes a modest 25 per cent increase in the number of households with access to reliable and affordable commercial energy supply in 20 years (from the current 10 per cent to a projected 35 per cent). Woodfuel (firewood and charcoal) will therefore play a significant role in the livelihoods of the majority of the people in the region.
