Fuelwood and charcoal in the developing countries have been used primarily for household cooking and heating. Therefore, consumption of fuelwood and charcoal in the Asia-Pacific region has shown sustained increases, mainly as a consequence of population growth. Table 12 shows the consumption of fuelwood and charcoal by country and territory, from 1962 to 1992. The region's total consumption in 1992 was 841 million cubic meters, a 85% increase from 1962's level, which is strongly correlated with the rate of population growth, 84%, over the same period. The region's share of world consumption was relatively stable, between 44% and 47%.
Table 12. Consumption of fuelwood and charcoal, in thousand m3, 1962-1992.
|
Country |
1962 |
1972 |
1982 |
1992 |
|
Australia |
3394 |
1015 |
2069 |
2974 |
|
Bangladesh |
14053 |
18312 |
24237 |
31014 |
|
Bhutan |
|
|
|
|
|
Cambodia |
3705 |
4625 |
4351 |
5705 |
|
China |
108181 |
132436 |
160877 |
203765 |
|
Fiji |
24 |
15 |
19 |
37 |
|
French Polynesia |
|
|
|
|
|
Hong Kong |
475 |
249 |
304 |
289 |
|
India |
135637 |
170220 |
210775 |
257789 |
|
Indonesia |
76689 |
96455 |
120218 |
145455 |
|
Japan |
13733 |
1913 |
784 |
856 |
|
Korea Dem People's Rep |
2355 |
3131 |
3783 |
4183 |
|
Korea Rep |
10543 |
6923 |
6077 |
4491 |
|
Laos |
2104 |
2629 |
3074 |
4133 |
|
Macau |
54 |
47 |
18 |
14 |
|
Malaysia |
4621 |
5611 |
7308 |
9029 |
|
Myanmar |
9674 |
12123 |
15042 |
18632 |
|
Nepal |
9058 |
11152 |
14527 |
18971 |
|
New Caledonia |
|
|
|
|
|
New Zealand |
510 |
511 |
50 |
50 |
|
Pakistan |
10286 |
13530 |
17770 |
24379 |
|
Papua New Guinea |
3550 |
4424 |
5533 |
5533 |
|
Philippines |
15645 |
21164 |
27443 |
35035 |
|
Samoa |
55 |
60 |
70 |
70 |
|
Singapore |
0 |
53 |
148 |
-33 |
|
Solomon Islands |
59 |
79 |
110 |
138 |
|
Sri Lanka |
4953 |
6284 |
7437 |
8566 |
|
Thailand |
17101 |
23381 |
29841 |
34859 |
|
Tonga |
|
|
|
|
|
Vanuatu |
0 |
20 |
24 |
24 |
|
Viet Nam |
13064 |
16209 |
20319 |
25160 |
|
Asia Pacific |
459523 |
552571 |
682208 |
841151 |
|
World |
1044724 |
1214324 |
1554474 |
1792985 |
|
Share |
44% |
46% |
44% |
47% |
The top three consumers within the region are India (258 million cubic meters), China (204) and Indonesia (146). The consumption of these three countries accounts for 72% of the region's total, while their population represents nearly 75% of the total. In contrast to the developing nations in the region, Japan, Australia and New Zealand have experienced a declining trend in fuelwood and charcoal consumption, due to substitution by fossil fuels and electricity.
Tables 13 to 15 show the regional trends in production, import and export of fuelwood and charcoal. Clearly, most countries are largely self-sufficient in fuelwood and charcoal, and imports and exports are negligible. The exceptions are Japan and Hong Kong. In Japan, imports were less than 0.4% of domestic consumption in 1962, but by 1992, they accounted for nearly 70%. This increase in imports mainly substituted the decrease in production. The situation in Hong Kong was opposite. Imports in 1962 accounted for 86% of total consumption in Hong Kong, while the share declined to about 38% by 1992. The largest exporters in the region are Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.
Table 13. Production of fuelwood and charcoal, in thousand m, 1962-1992.
|
Country |
1962 |
1972 |
1982 |
1992 |
|
Australia |
3395 |
1014 |
2068 |
2898 |
|
Bangladesh |
0 |
238 |
278 |
278 |
|
Bhutan |
731 |
876 |
1070 |
1332 |
|
Cambodia |
3705 |
4625 |
4351 |
5705 |
|
China |
108181 |
132436 |
160877 |
203765 |
|
Fiji |
24 |
15 |
19 |
37 |
|
French Polynesia |
|
|
|
|
|
Hone Kong |
107 |
139 |
173 |
193 |
|
India |
135638 |
170217 |
210782 |
257789 |
|
Indonesia |
76782 |
96646 |
120429 |
146278 |
|
Japan |
13685 |
1674 |
580 |
327 |
|
Korea Dem People's Rep |
2355 |
3131 |
3783 |
4183 |
|
Korea Rep |
10514 |
6923 |
6077 |
4491 |
|
Laos |
2104 |
2629 |
3074 |
4133 |
|
Macau |
|
|
|
|
|
Malaysia |
4226 |
5559 |
7057 |
9157 |
|
Myanmar |
9674 |
12123 |
15042 |
18632 |
|
Nepal |
9058 |
11152 |
14527 |
18971 |
|
New Caledonia |
|
|
|
|
|
New Zealand |
510 |
510 |
50 |
50 |
|
Pakistan |
10286 |
13530 |
17770 |
24379 |
|
Papua New Guinea |
3550 |
4424 |
5533 |
5533 |
|
Philippines |
15645 |
21274 |
27591 |
35038 |
|
Samoa |
55 |
60 |
70 |
70 |
|
Singapore |
|
|
|
|
|
Solomon Islands |
59 |
79 |
110 |
138 |
|
Sri Lanka |
5033 |
6284 |
7610 |
8566 |
|
Thailand |
17386 |
23575 |
30197 |
34855 |
|
Tonga |
|
|
|
|
|
Vanuatu |
0 |
20 |
24 |
24 |
|
Viet Nam |
13064 |
16209 |
20319 |
25160 |
|
Asia Pacific |
445767 |
535362 |
659461 |
811982 |
|
World |
1043971 |
1213860 |
1553708 |
1873330 |
|
Share |
43% |
44% |
42% |
43% |
Table 14. Imports of fuelwood and charcoal, in thousand m, 1962-1992.
|
Country |
1962 |
1972 |
1982 |
1992 |
|
Australia |
1 |
1 |
1 |
76 |
|
Bangladesh |
|
|
|
|
|
Bhutan |
|
|
|
|
|
Cambodia |
|
|
|
|
|
China |
|
|
|
|
|
Fiji |
|
|
|
|
|
French Polynesia |
|
|
|
|
|
Hong Kong |
409 |
126 |
142 |
110 |
|
India |
1 |
4 |
7 |
0 |
|
Indonesia |
|
|
|
|
|
Japan |
49 |
239 |
204 |
529 |
|
Korea Dem People's Rep |
|
|
|
|
|
Korea Rep |
29 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Laos |
|
|
|
|
|
Macau |
54 |
47 |
18 |
14 |
|
Malaysia |
445 |
177 |
367 |
14 |
|
Myanmar |
|
|
|
|
|
Nepal |
|
|
|
|
|
New Caledonia |
|
|
|
|
|
New Zealand |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Pakistan |
|
|
|
|
|
Papua New Guinea |
|
|
|
|
|
Philippines |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Samoa |
|
|
|
|
|
Singapore |
0 |
69 |
174 |
116 |
|
Solomon Islands |
|
|
|
|
|
Sri Lanka |
|
|
|
|
|
Thailand |
0 |
0 |
32 |
125 |
|
Tonga |
|
|
|
|
|
Vanuatu |
|
|
|
|
|
Viet Nam |
|
|
|
|
|
Asia Pacific |
988 |
664 |
945 |
984 |
|
World |
3612 |
2288 |
3158 |
4123 |
|
Share |
27% |
29% |
30% |
24% |
Table 15. Exports of fuelwood and charcoal, in thousand m3, 1962-1992.
|
Country |
1962 |
1972 |
1982 |
1992 |
|
Australia |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Bangladesh |
|
|
|
|
|
Bhutan |
|
|
|
|
|
Cambodia |
|
|
|
|
|
China |
|
|
|
|
|
Fiji |
|
|
|
|
|
French Polynesia |
|
|
|
|
|
Hong Kong |
41 |
16 |
11 |
14 |
|
India |
2 |
1 |
14 |
0 |
|
Indonesia |
93 |
191 |
211 |
823 |
|
Japan |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Korea Dem People's Rep |
|
|
|
|
|
Korea Rep |
|
|
|
|
|
Laos |
|
|
|
|
|
Macau |
|
|
|
|
|
Malaysia |
50 |
125 |
116 |
142 |
|
Myanmar |
|
|
|
|
|
Nepal |
|
|
|
|
|
New Caledonia |
|
|
|
|
|
New Zealand |
|
|
|
|
|
Pakistan |
|
|
|
|
|
Papua New Guinea |
|
|
|
|
|
Philippines |
0 |
110 |
148 |
3 |
|
Samoa |
|
|
|
|
|
Singapore |
0 |
16 |
26 |
283 |
|
Solomon Islands |
|
|
|
|
|
Sri Lanka |
80 |
0 |
173 |
0 |
|
Thailand |
285 |
194 |
388 |
121 |
|
Tonga |
|
|
|
|
|
Vanuatu |
|
|
|
|
|
Viet Nam |
|
|
|
|
|
Asia Pacific |
554 |
653 |
1087 |
1386 |
|
World |
2859 |
1824 |
2392 |
3368 |
|
Share |
19% |
36% |
45% |
41% |
