INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS FOR SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT: LINKING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS IN SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
Conrado Heruela, Wood Energy Planning Officer,
Regional Wood Energy Development Programme
Introduction
Wood energy (fuelwood and charcoal) is, and will remain, an important source of energy in South and Southeast Asia. In most countries between 20 percent and 80 percent of energy demand is met by wood. The use of woodfuels is still increasing, though not as fast as the use of fossil fuels. Most woodfuel originates from non-forest land and is managed sustainably. The main uses are in the domestic, commercial and industrial sectors. Applications can be traditional or modern, or an intermediate type.
Although woodfuels are often considered 'non-commercial', they are widely traded. Particularly in urban areas, where woodfuels are most relevant, markets for fuelwood and charcoal are thriving. Many people, both in urban and rural areas, earn their main income from the woodfuel business. This can involve growing, harvesting, processing, trading, transporting or retailing.
In most countries, although the percentage share in the total energy consumption decreasing (as rate of consumption of fossil fuels increases faster), the absolute amount of woodfuels consumption is increasing. Wood energy will remain to be an important energy source in most countries of this region in foreseeable future.
Regional Wood Energy Development Programme in Asia (RWEDP)
The Regional Wood Energy Development Programme in Asia (RWEDP) aims to assist 16 developing countries in South and Southeast Asia in establishing and strengthening their capabilities to:
assess wood energy situations;
plan wood energy development strategies; and
implement wood energy supply and utilization programmes.
The programme promotes the integration of wood energy in the planning and implementation of national energy and forestry programs. It is implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and funded by the Government of the Netherlands.
Types of case studies implemented by RWEDP
There are two types of studies involving data collection activities that RWEDP is currently undertaking in our member countries:
Case Studies in Wood Energy Planning (studies in 8 districts with in member countries)
Woodfuels Flow Studies (studies in 5 districts in member countries)
These studies involved either or both primary and secondary data collection techniques. They are targeted to be completed this year.
Case studies in wood energy planning
The case studies in wood energy planning are designed to promote the incorporation of wood energy issues into overall energy planning activities at national, provincial and local levels. The case studies have the following key objectives:
generate actual experiences in wood energy planning activities in the country;
provide on-the-job training in wood energy planning;
develop local wood energy planning expertise; and
define follow-up activities to strengthen wood energy planning capabilities in the country.
The case studies have a primary focus on training and capacity building, but will also stress the need for increased data collection to support planning needs. The studies use the Long Range Energy Alternative Planning (LEAP) model, a computer-based planning model, as tool for analysis, projections and evaluation studies.
Woodfuels flow studies
Woodfuels flow refers to the processing, transport and marketing of commercial woodfuels. The amount of "commercial" woodfuels is still small compared to the volume that is "freely" collected and harvested for own-consumption. Nevertheless, the production, flow and use of commercial woodfuels can be significant enough to affect energy, forestry, agriculture, environment and macro-economic situations, policies and programs.
Supplying the woodfuels market has created a "woodfuels business" in and around many towns and cities. Generally, the operations start with the cutting or "harvesting" of wood and/or collection of wood from dead or fallen branches. The cut or harvested wood is then "processed". These may involve debarking, splitting, sizing and bundling of fuelwood, and/or "thermochemical processing" such as charcoal making. The products, pass through various types of traders as the woodfuels are transported, packaged, repackaged, and sold to final users. The series of activities from processing to transportation and the selling and buying of woodfuels - until it reaches the final users - constitute a "woodfuels flow system".
Example of case study: woodfuels flow study: Dali City in Yunnan Province, China.
The woodfuels flow study examines the various elements of woodfuels flow starting from the harvesting, processing, transportation and marketing of woodfuels. It has a number of sub-components.
Retailer Study - This study examines traders retailing fuelwood and charcoal to final customers and conducts an estimate of the amount of woodfuels being traded. Information is collected on the business operation and practices of the retailers such as acquisition of woodfuels, pricing and profit margins, sale patterns, number of workers and types of customers are collected.
Wholesaler Study - This study examines traders involved in the wholesale buying and selling of fuelwood and charcoal and conducts also an estimate of the volume of woodfuels being traded. The wholesalers study can be used to identify who are the transporters and large buyers/users of woodfuels. It can also be used to identify the woodfuels transporters, the locations of woodfuels supply areas and the means of woodfuels transportation.
Transporter Study - The study looks at traders who move woodfuels from production and processing areas (generally in rural areas) to urban markets and other commercial wood energy demand centers (like large industrial users). This study examines the woodfuels procurement methods and transportation means, and the general business operations and practices of transporters.
Producer Study - This study examines the operations and practices of woodfuels producers. Woodfuels producers grow and "harvest" trees, produced "bundled fuelwood", and process wood to produce charcoal.
Wood Resources Study - This study characterizes the areas from which commercial woodfuels are coming from. The areas can be classified into two types. The first is the "wood catchment area" - this refers to wood resource and tree production areas surrounding the urban center. The other type can wood resource areas can be described as "wood exporting areas". This are areas separated from the urban center and are in far off locations.
The Wood Flow Studies also incorporate energy consumption studies. The objective of these studies are to estimate the amount (range of values) of traded woodfuels consumed by each type of user, and to identify for what type of end-uses and type of woodfuels they are used. These studies include:
Household wood energy consumption;
Industries and enterprise wood energy consumption study; and
Informal sector wood energy consumption study.
Areas where studies might be usefully implemented
The types of case studies currently being implement by RWEDP are very similar to the types of pilot studies envisaged for the EC-FAO Partnership Programme. They generally incorporate strong elements of methodology development, data gathering, and national capacity building. An expected recommendation of the RWEDP studies is the need to strengthen primary data collection efforts for supply side data. Two particular efforts relate to calculating total biomass availability, and assessing the extent and role of trees outside forests. Thus, there may be good opportunities to link the efforts of the two programmes.
The workshop has already discussed a range of pilot study options for the woodfuels subject area. These include:
Investigating local sources of woodfuels;
Measuring the impact of woodfuels harvesting on forests and woodlands;
Measuring the impact of woodfuels harvesting on trees outside forests;
Surveying woodfuels burning efficiencies at local levels;
Estimating woodfuels consumption by types of end users;
Assessment of recovered and recycled wood available for fuel; and
Measuring the impact of woodfuels harvesting on protected areas and reserved forests.
This presentation has hopefully stimulated some other ideas and we look forward to discussing these.
Thank you
