IMPROVED BIOMASS ENERGY USE FOR REDUCING BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THREE DISTRICT OF TANZANIA.

Ms Gisela Ngoo, EEI Coordinator, TaTEDO

Introduction  

Recently, TaTEDO completed the implementation of a project for scaling up sustainable rural energy initiatives in Same, Monduli and Bukoba districts.  The project, which was part of the East African Cross Border Biodiversity programme, had the goal of reducing biodiversity loss at selected cross-border natural forests of East Africa. The project which was funded by UNDP/GEF, started in 1998.  In the course of its implementation, among lessons learnt included the fact that there was serious biodiversity loss caused by increasing woodfuel demand resulting in heavy workload on women and increased poverty level.  The project also introduced alternative energy means like biogas technology, use of biofuel plants like Jatropha carcus oil as alternative fuel to kerosene, raising of fuel-wood seedlings and use of efficient wood fuel stoves. The objective was to reduce pressure on forest biodiversity loss through wide application of renewable energy technologies in border districts of Same, Bukoba and Monduli districts.  TaTEDO worked closely with the districts, local partners and other key stakeholders in integrating fully participatory mechanisms to facilitate strategy development and policy dialogue on environment and sustainable rural energy development. 

Activities and Beneficiaries

Through this intervention, TaTEDO has focused on activities of scaling up the uptake and use of the energy technologies and practices around villages near natural forest of Bukoba, Monduli and Same districts.  Some of the activities undertaken included training of local artisans and trainers on construction of improved stoves, facilitating construction of improved woodfuel stoves, training of tree nursery owners, facilitating tree planting, disseminating alternative energy technologies (biogas, use of Jatropha caurcus oil) and sharing information on lessons learnt and best practices observed.  

A total number of 4234 households with 9973 female and 9428 male population benefited from the project.  Of the total households, 1154 households were in Engutoto, 1050 households in Chome and 1930 in Minziro. Other beneficiaries include institutions, social centres, tree-nursery groups and farmers.  

Outcomes of the Intervention  

TaTEDO facilitated notable progress for a short period of one year to the communities in the selected villages.Through PRA approach, TaTEDO assessed peoples needs and opportunities with regard to energy and biodiversity conservation, reviewing of the already existing plans with respective villagers and district representatives, developing participatory local level plans and targets, agreeing on feedback mechanisms with the local communities, signing implementation contract agreement with the partners.  The approach raised a spirit of commitment, transparency and accountability among the project stakeholders such that villagers felt that the activities introduced were theirs.

After awareness raising through posters, brochures, meetings and seminars, major efforts were directed towards transferring knowledge and skills to the villagers and local supervisors who continued to provide extension services to the local people. During the implementation period of activities, 28 training of trainers (TOTs) 38 village technicians were trained on the construction and maintenance of improved firewood stove and fireless cookers. A total of 916 improved burnt brick firewood stoves were constructed in a cost-sharing manner where the project covered construction costs while the beneficiary prepared all the materials required. The constructed stoves had great potential of reducing quantity of firewood by almost half as compared to the three-stone fireplace, which were commonly used by the villagers.  

 On the supply side of woodfuels, TaTEDO facilitated the raising of 126,000 seedlings, which were planted in the field with a view to reduce drudgery of fetching firewood from the forests in the future. TaTEDO managed to train 17 tree-nursery owners and distributed materials and equipment for tree-nursery management practices. Also, TaTEDO devoted time and resources to disseminate alternative energy means such as biogas and use of Jatropha carcus oil to replace use of kerosene. Through such initiatives, four village technicians were trained on biogas technology and one institutional biogas plant constructed at one of the Monduli teachers colleges in Monduli district. The constructed biogas plant is expected to demonstrate possibility of using animal wastes as source of energy rather than depending absolutely on woodfuel.  

On the other hand, a total of 25,000 Jatropha carcus seedlings have been raised by women groups in Monduli district and planted by primary schools. Also, 100 Jatropha lamps have been constructed and distributed to 100 households for field-testing.

 Lessons Learnt

The implementation of activities in the cross-boarder districts came up with interesting lessons of forest management conflicts, socio-cultural preferences on energy technologies choice, role of private sector, law enforcement and use of Jatropha oil. The lessons learnt were as follows:

·         Restricting nearby communities from collecting fuelwood for free from the nearby forest could increase conflicts on forest management rather than helping the community to manage their resources in a sustainable manner.

·         Communities in each site have different preferences as regard to stove prototypes, which are in most cases socially and culturally related.

·         Energy technologies promoted by TaTEDO can best be disseminated if commercial private sectors take the lead. The field observation shows that stoves that were well maintained were those, whose owners had paid for their construction.

·         By-law enforcement is the key enabling factor to the dissemination of the aforementioned technologies

·         Use of Jatropha oil, as alternative energy source is a good initiative for household but cannot compete with other available fuels in terms of costs of the oil and the associated appliances. Therefore, more research is required to improve efficiency of appliances to make the oil affordable and to easily assess its environmental impacts.

 Impact to the Beneficiaries

Through this project, TaTEDO has managed to significantly  reduce firewood consumption by the beneficiaries. One of the improved stove user interviewed said that,  “I immediately noted a great change in quantity of wood that I was using, before using this stove I was consuming three headload per month (Sold at 500 Tsh.) but after using this new stove, such significant quantity can take me for two months” Due to such reduction many other benefits are experinced by the stove users such as reduced frequency

Fig 8:Jatropha private tree nursery at Monduli Arusha

 of going to the forest to fetch firewood (predominatly women and chidren task), reduced work load on women and children and accidents which may occur in the process of collecting firewood. Also, the introduced stove has many other benefits such as increased income to the users and stove builders and reduced indoor air pollution. 

It should be noted however, that not all societies consider the above mentioned impact beneficial to them. For instance, Maasai women  prefer using unimproved stove because they can get more time to meet with other women and discuss their social issues which they would not like men to hear.   

Other impacts are related  to the use of  altenative energy such as biogas technology and use of Jatropha cacus oil as altenative fuel to kerosene. Users of this technology collect no wood or use less wood as compared to households which depend entirely on firewood.  This means that, less impact to the forest, more time to other productive activities, etc. 

The main impact is to conserve forest resources and reduce biodiversity loss.

 4.0 Conclusion

The comprehensive training that has been offered to the extension officers and village technicians has so far been useful in empowering the communities and ensuring continuous construction and maintenance of the improved stoves. It is quite true that the technologies introduced have the potential of reducing biodiversity loss, conserving resources, poverty reduction and significantly reducing burden on women and children.  At this point, it is crucial for the district government to continue with monitoring the implemented activities and replicate similar initiatives to other villages around the natural forests of selected districts.

 For more information contacts;

TaTEDO, P.O. Box 32794, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania,

Tel:   +255-22-2700771 / 2700438

 Fax:+255-22-2774400                                                

Email: energy@tatedo.org 

Website: www.tatedo.org