IFDC CATALIST Project

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Sustainable Energy Production through Woodlots and Agroforestry in the Albertine Rift (SEW)

A contribution to resolving a severe energy crisis

With the highest population density of the Sub-Saharan Africa, the Albertine Rift of the Central Africa Great Lakes Region faces a severe energy crisis due in most part to over-exploitation of forests. Indeed, 95% of the energy used by the households is derived from the biomass, mainly wood and charcoal as well as the plant wastes.

The practice of cutting trees without planting others at the same rhythm causes the environment to get more and more degraded and jeopardizes the agricultural production. That is why the agricultural byproducts (such as manure and cassava stems, fodder) are more and more used as fuel instead of serving as organic fertilizers in food production.

The use of non-improved stoves and the resort to traditional carbonization methods have also wasted precious energy.

For this, it is going to increase the production of sustainable energy in two ways: first, to increase production, and second, to decrease consumption.

Reforestation and agroforestry in private smallholders' micro-woodlots with woodlots between 0.25 ha until 5 ha maximum, the yield of the plantations must increase, modern management of woodlots can offer more wood and more income to growers.

In a so populated region as the heart of the Great Lakes Region, the tree becomes a competitor with the crops for space, water and nutrients. The only way for saving trees and even planting more, without threatening food production, is by strengthening the most deficient natural resource, that is the soil and its fertility. Mineral fertilizers have become essential; an alternative such as agroforestry is not any longer sufficient. The only form of agroforestry which is likely to interest farmers is the one which improves the efficiency and the profitability of fertilizers.

Agroforestry in combination with fertilizers can offer multiple benefits: more food crops and more useful wood for different purposes: fuel wood, bean stakes, mulch for fertilizing, etc.

In order to decrease consumption , SEW thinks of better organizing the value chain stakeholders through the support to the private sector. It is namely by increasing their professionalism, by supporting them in searching for funds, in improving their entrepreneurship, in creating links between producers and consumers, and the public services. Great consumers are a special target group.

Other important activities as far as consumption decrease is concerned consist in making wood processing into charcoal more effective through a more modern carbonization; through the introduction of improved stoves and their better marketing as well as making bricks and tiles requiring less firewood.

Finally, the project will support the value chain stakeholders for getting carbon credits.

SEW goals are :

The increase of fuel wood production in promoting private investment in woodlots (12.000 ha) and the promotion of agroforestry (6000 ha).
The strengthening of firewood and charcoal value chain for achieving a better marketing of the products of the sector, and the increase of the incomes of the stakeholders of this chain.
The creation of an enabling environment for fuel wood sector via policy changes, e.g., taxes and incentive practices and getting carbon credits.

Direct beneficiaries include :

The population of Burundi, Rwanda and East of the Democratic Republic of Congo (North and South Kivu) with :
1. Woodlot smallholders, growers
2. Subcontractors and local service providers; planting is organized via subcontracting and contracts for local service provision.
Enterprises and organizations involved in the production of seedlings and in the supply of inputs, seeds and tools.
The most disadvantaged classes. These participate in the production of seeds and in planting, through High Intensity Labor (HIMO).
Those involved in the production of wood and charcoal, and their marketing.
Manufacturers of improved stoves, bricks and tiles.
The consumers (with a new balance between supply and offer, the prices of fuel wood can stabilize).
Women, returnees and demobilized people in every category.

Important facts

The sector of fuel wood is an important economic sector. In Rwanda for example, it represents 5% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Besides, 50% of this richness returns to villages. For this fact, this sector is more profitable than coffee, for example.
Traditional carbonization is not very profitable. One hundred kg of wood give 8 to 10 kg of charcoal. After training the charcoalers in modern carbonization techniques, the yield received is of 16 to 22 kg of charcoal for 100 kg of wood.
The use of improved stoves allows consuming rationally charcoal and wood. There are "improved stoves" for all categories: the rural households use dry wood and the urban households use charcoal. Some improved stoves can have a double function. All these stoves allow food effective cooking.
The great part of charcoal used in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) comes from the National Park of Virunga. Its price has strongly increased because of insecurity in North Kivu as well as the consequences of the measures taken for protecting the Park.
SEW contributes in two ways for controlling the climate changes: carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air is transformed into plant matter and stored as wood and soil organic matter. The project supports the producers for getting paid as carbon credit in order enable them to continue investments in reforestation.