Asian Journal of Environment & Ecology 7(2): 1-10, 2018; Article no.AJEE.42471 ISSN: 2456-690X Firewood Utilisation and Its Implication on Trees around Mopipi Village in Boteti Sub-District of Botswana Wanda N. Mphinyane1*, Lawrence K. Akanyang2, Kutlwano Mulale1, Fritz Van Deventer3, Lapologang Magole4, Jeremy S. Perkins1, Reuben J. Sebego1, Julius R. Atlhopheng1 and Raban Chanda1 1Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Private Bag UB 00704, Gaborone, Botswana. 2Botswana College of Agriculture, Private Bag 0027, Gaborone, Botswana. 3Department of Land and Water Management, Wageningen University, Netherlands. 4Okavango Research Institute, Private Bag 285, Maun, Botswana. Authors’ contributions This work was carried out in collaboration between all authors. Authors WNM, LKA, JRA and RC designed the study. Authors WNM, LKA, KM, FVD and LM participated in field investigation, data collection and authors WNM, LKA, KM and FVD performed the statistical analysis. Authors RJS and JSP managed the literature searches and analyses of the study. Author WNM wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/AJEE/2018/42471 Editor(s): (1) Dr. Onofre S. Corpuz, CFCST-Doroluman Arakan 9417 Cotabato, Philippines. (2) Dr. Daniele De Wrachien, Professor, Agricultural Hydraulics at the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, State University of Milan, Italy. Reviewers: (1) Kokou Kouami, Université de Lomé, Togo. (2) T. O. Adewuyi, Nigerian Defence Academy, Nigeria. (3) Lupala John Zacharia, Forestry Training Institute (FTI) Olmotony, Tanzania. (4) N. Muboko, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Zimbabwe. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sciencedomain.org/review-history/26214 Received 31st May 2018 Accepted 18th August 2018 Original Research Article Published 13th September 2018 ABSTRACT A household survey was done to assess the number of people using firewood in order to determine the amount of available firewood, its rate of utilisation and the distance travelled per selected household. There are a total of 383 households in Mopipi village with an average household size of eight (8) people. A sample size of seventy-nine (79) households were interviewed for the study on their use of fuelwood. Four transects of 14 km radiating from the Mopipi village were used to _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]; Mphinyane et al.; AJEE, 7(2): 1-10, 2018; Article no.AJEE.42471 measure the biomass of both live and dead trees. Five sampling points at different distances along the transect were located. At each sampling point, three 50m x 10m quadrats were demarcated. Firewood biomass was determined by measuring the basal area at ankle height and adjusted by using regression curves formulae. Biomass of live trees was dominated by Colophospermum mopane woodlands, but its standing dead wood was only available at further distances. Most households gathered firewood by head-loads within a range of 4-6 km from the village. Trade-offs were clearly involved when people collected less preferred species at near distances. Consumption rate per household was estimated at 10 kg per day per household. Reasonable biomass of live trees occurred near the village, concurring with household claims that they do not chop live trees. Keywords: Consumption rate; households; firewood; preferred species; woody biomass. 1. INTRODUCTION Despite the fact that firewood is the most important source of primary energy in Botswana, Fuelwood continues to play a significant role as there exists a wide knowledge gap of firewood an energy source for many rural households in availability around settlements showing that little Africa and particularly in the rural areas of has been done to come up with firewood Botswana [1,2] where it is used across a very inventories in the country. Attempts to map wide spectrum of activities including domestic quantities of woody biomass using satellite cooking and house insulation [3,4,5,6,7]. In imagery [17,18,19] and 1:50,000 aerial Botswana, firewood is the principal energy photographs [20], have failed to provide the source used for cooking in 46% households, required level of details for planning purposes whereas, in rural areas, the number reaches up [21]. to 77% [1,2]. This represents a decline of about 90% since 1981 [8,9], but still significant enough Preference of the woody biomass resource by to attract policy attention. communities as a source of firewood is a critical factor in the understanding of future rural energy Firewood is used not only by households but also demands [22,23,3]. In eastern Botswana the by other sectors such as education, health and most preferred firewood species are Combretum manufacturing industries. Examples include apiculatum and Combretum imberbe which later schools, prisons and local community gatherings got depleted, such that households had to switch for cooking and provision for warm water. In to Dichrostachys cinerea and Senegalia Botswana, as in many other developing erubescens, which are also getting scarce [24] countries; the households sector is the main with time. The distance travelled and time-taken consumer of firewood [3,6,10,11]. Many rural to collect firewood are the two factors that have households depend primarily on woody frequently been used in socio-economic studies biomass for their daily energy needs [2,11]. As as an index of scarcity. A field-work undertaken biomass production is generally not sustainable in Mochudi village shows that firewood was taken due to its high rate of utilisation, repeated from a mean distance of 4.4 km, 20 km and 44 collection of firewood is causing deforestation, km, for head-loads, donkey-carts and small thus hampering the ecosystem viability trucks, respectively [25]. Some trees are not [12,13,7,14]. used as firewood as they are associated with taboos, or spirits while others produce Firewood in Botswana accounts for a lower toxic and/or unpleasant smoke and unpleasant percentage (46%) of total energy consumption as smells. compared to some other African countries such as Nigeria (80%), Uganda (92%), Rwanda Firewood usage has been declining over the (90%), Burundi, Malawi and Somalia (>90%) [15] years while gas and electricity consumption has and South Africa (54%) 16). In order to survive, been on the rise [10]. This is mainly attributed to however, rural households have to depend on the rising level of affluence as well as the many kinds of available fuel biomass and have to increased access to electricity. Reports showed adopt several mechanisms for obtaining energy. that in Botswana, local energy resources are Several authors have reported a positive considered to be in abundance including coal change in the economic behaviour of (200 billion tonnes), sunshine (3200 hrs at 21 households to adapt to firewood scarcity MJ/m2), biogas (2.5 million cattle, 3 kg [16,6,10]. dung/livestock unit/day) and firewood (200 2 Mphinyane et al.; AJEE, 7(2): 1-10, 2018; Article no.AJEE.42471 tonnes/annum) [10]. Botswana’s domestic 1.2 Description of the Study Site energy-related resources present immense opportunities for addressing her energy The study was carried out in Mopipi Village in the insecurities and increasing access to energy Boteti-sub District of Botswana (Fig. 1). The area services. The most significant input is the has semi-arid climate with soil comprising mainly technology required to leverage the energy latent of arenosols which are conspicuously dissected in these resources. by the semi-perennial Boteti river. Fluvisols form a narrow flood buffer zone along the river, The use of firewood affects the biodiversity providing almost year-round moisture, which conservation and depletion is likely to occur allows residents to practice recessional farming because of harvesting at rates higher than those [26]. at which nature can replenish the wood resources. As with wildlife, the capacity of These semi-arid soils are considered problematic government to monitor wood resources is limited because their physio-chemical properties limit and without the management of firewood quotas the uses for agricultural purposes. They being devolved to local communities and the generally have low organic matter content and an requisite local capacity developed, it is the poor unstable structure. The main problems who stand to lose. Mopipi village was chosen for associated with these soils are high levels of study because the area has received a salinity and sodicity, poor drainage around pans, significant decline in the density and soil erosion and low soil fertility [27]. The saline amount of vegetation normally used for firewood soils, brackish groundwater and forage for cattle over the past 4-5 decades [18] in the vicinity of need certain mineral supplementation. The term the village. semi-arid means that the rains are concentrated mostly in the summer season (October to April) 1.1 Objectives of the Study with an average rainfall of 350 mm/yr. The rate of evapotranspiration for the area is 1860 mm per year. The temperature ranges between 25-30°C, The main objective of this study was : (1) to but higher temperatures (up to 40°C) have also determine the firewood inventory in order to been recorded, especially in the summer months evaluate the extent of firewood availability to the of drought years. Winter temperature ranges local community, and (2) to determine the between 15-20°C during the day, but at night impacts of firewood harvesting on land occasional frosts occur [27]. degradation. Fig. 1. Map of Boteti sub-district showing the location of Mopipi village (Source: [27]) 3 Mphinyane et al.; AJEE, 7(2): 1-10, 2018; Article no.AJEE.42471 The Boteti area is quite diverse in terms of of Mopipi, has an estimated population of 3,912 vegetation physiognomy, ranging from [30]. Overgrazing by livestock is a prominent woodlands, forests to grass pans [28]. The area driver of degradation in the area [27].