Fuelwood demand and supply in Rwanda and the role of agroforestry

Fuelwood in Rwanda is assumed to come from forests and woodlands, thus contributing to large-scale deforestation. Available studies on fuelwood demand and supply support this assumption and indicate a continuously rising demand of fuelwood, notably from forest plantations. These assertions are insufficiently substantiated as existing forest stock may not be depleted by rapid increase in demand for food and energy resources resulting from population growth, but rather from the need for agricultural land. Evidence suggests that the demands for fuelwood, in addition to other sources of energy, is supplied from agroforestry systems which has not been quantified so far. This review analyses sources and use of fuelwood in Rwanda, indicating the importance of on-farms trees and woodlots in fuelwood supply. It is concluded that the effect of fuelwood consumption on land use is difficult to disentangle as many other factors including land clearing for agriculture, livestock farming, human settlements, illegal cutting of valuable timber species, the demand for charcoal in towns and past conflicts, contributed significantly to the high rate of deforestation in the country. If fuelwood demand is to be met on a sustainable basis, more fuelwood has to be produced on agricultural lands and in forest plantations through species site matching and proper management

Trees and woodlots in Rwanda and their role in fuelwood supply

Trees and woodlots on farms are prominent features of agricultural landscapes worldwide. For developing countries such as Rwanda where fuelwood is the main sources of energy for cooking, the contribution to total energy supply is important. However, little is known about their role in meeting the household demands of fuelwood under conditions of high population density, small forest cover per capita, heavy reliance on forests for fuelwood, and subsistence farming. The main focus of this study was to quantify the role of trees and woodlots on farms in fuelwood supply in Rwanda, by analysing the fuelwood demand and supply, identifying the determinants of the farmer’s choice of fuelwood sources and the reasons why and when farmers are keeping trees and woodlots on their farms. Biomass stocks on individual farms and in the agricultural landscape were assessed, and the contribution of woody biomass on agricultural land to fuelwood supply was determined. The study showed that households with higher socio-economic status obtained fuelwood from their farms and markets rather than collecting it from nearby forests. Indeed, many trees and woodlots were mainly kept for economic benefits, including fuelwood. The household decision to have trees and woodlots on farms in three altitude regions was affected by different sets of socio-economic and location variables, implying that interventions to promote tree and woodlots must be region specific to account for the socio-economic and biophysical environments. The woody biomass survey on the agricultural land indicated that about 80 % of total standing biomass in trees and woodlots was useable biomass for fuelwood. It was estimated that for Rwanda, the amount of fuelwood on agricultural land was higher than in forest plantations. Increasing sustainable woody biomass production on farms could potentially meet the fuelwood demands by the households; even a surplus is possible in the future. This, however, is only achievable if sustainable tree and woodlot management are promoted and implemented, and the socio-economic and policy environments improved.</p

Trees and woodlots in Rwanda and their role in fuelwood supply

Trees and woodlots on farms are prominent features of agricultural landscapes worldwide. For developing countries such as Rwanda where fuelwood is the main sources of energy for cooking, the contribution to total energy supply is important. However, little is known about their role in meeting the household demands of fuelwood under conditions of high population density, small forest cover per capita, heavy reliance on forests for fuelwood, and subsistence farming. The main focus of this study was to quantify the role of trees and woodlots on farms in fuelwood supply in Rwanda, by analysing the fuelwood demand and supply, identifying the determinants of the farmer’s choice of fuelwood sources and the reasons why and when farmers are keeping trees and woodlots on their farms. Biomass stocks on individual farms and in the agricultural landscape were assessed, and the contribution of woody biomass on agricultural land to fuelwood supply was determined. The study showed that households with higher socio-economic status obtained fuelwood from their farms and markets rather than collecting it from nearby forests. Indeed, many trees and woodlots were mainly kept for economic benefits, including fuelwood. The household decision to have trees and woodlots on farms in three altitude regions was affected by different sets of socio-economic and location variables, implying that interventions to promote tree and woodlots must be region specific to account for the socio-economic and biophysical environments. The woody biomass survey on the agricultural land indicated that about 80 % of total standing biomass in trees and woodlots was useable biomass for fuelwood. It was estimated that for Rwanda, the amount of fuelwood on agricultural land was higher than in forest plantations. Increasing sustainable woody biomass production on farms could potentially meet the fuelwood demands by the households; even a surplus is possible in the future. This, however, is only achievable if sustainable tree and woodlot management are promoted and implemented, and the socio-economic and policy environments improved

Household Determinants of Tree Planting on Farms in Rural Rwanda

In Rwanda, trees on farms are widely recognized for increasing and diversifying farm productivity while releasing pressure on existing forests. However, the motivation of rural households to plant trees on farms is often unclear. This study evaluates rural households demographic and socio-economic characteristics, as well as their attitudes, that influence the presence of trees on farms. Data used in this study were collected from a survey of 480 households across three altitude regions of Rwanda. Binary logistic regression analysis using PASW Statistics was applied to determine relevant predictor variables for the presence of trees on farms. The results show regional variation in explaining the presence of trees on farms. When data from the three regions were analysed together, significant predictor variables comprise the gender of head of the household, the number of salaried members of the households, the amount of farm fuelwood, the number of meals per day, the geographical location of the households and the selling of tree products. The presence of different tree species on farms was driven by economic factors, of which availability of food, firewood, and poles, and total income were most common. The results of the study imply that policy measures that target food security and income diversification in rural areas may, at the same time, enhance tree planting. Moreover, it is concluded that rural development and extension in agriculture should be site specific, to account for biophysical conditions and specific rural household motivations to plant trees on farms

Woody biomass on farms and in the landscapes of Rwanda

Scattered trees and woodlots are a prominent feature of agricultural landscapes of Rwanda. However, little is known about their characteristics and their contribution to farmers’ wood needs. Here, we present the results of a survey of (a) the abundance, composition, and size of trees and woodlots in the low, medium and high altitude regions of Rwanda, (b) total woody biomass and biomass for fuelwood at farm and landscape levels, and (c) opportunities for their sustainable use. Scattered trees occurred in all landscapes at minimum densities ranging from 20 to 167 trees ha-1. Of the 56 tree genera recorded, a handful of tree species dominated, with the ten most common species accounting for over 70 % of all trees recorded. Most of them provided fuelwood, fruit and timber to farm owners. Woodlots occurred on about 40 % of the survey farms and consisted for 90 % of eucalyptus coppice. Woody biomass dry weight of scattered trees on agricultural landscape was 0.7 t ha-1 in low altitude region (LAR), 3 t ha-1 in medium altitude region (MAR), and 1 t ha-1 in high altitude region (HAR). Dry weight woody biomass in woodlots

Farm woodlots in rural Rwanda: purposes and determinants

The development of farm woodlots as an alternative source of livelihood for smallholder farmers in diverse biophysical and socio-economic conditions is a challenging issue in developing countries, such as Rwanda, where the majority of the population relies on subsistence farming. There is a need to understand why and when farmers decide to grow trees and woodlots on their farms. The objective of this study was to analyse the determinants and the purposes that enhance the propensity to grow woodlots in low, medium and high altitude regions of Rwanda. Necessary information for this study came from a survey of 480 households across these regions. The results showed regional variations in the determinants of woodlot farming, demonstrating the importance of not extrapolating the results between regions. Pooled data across regions indicated that age of the householder, number of salaried household members, farm size, travel distance to fuelwood sources and household location in medium forest cover region had positive significant effects on the propensity to grow farm woodlots. In contrast, household location in low forest cover region, ownership of livestock and monthly frequency of purchasing fuelwood were inversely related to the presence of farm woodlots. Many households planted eucalyptus woodlots for economic reasons, not for environmental purposes. Livestock and crop production were more attractive to rural households than woodlot farming. The findings of the study can be used by policymakers and extension services in order to promote sustainable land use practices by focusing on the challenges of competing land uses, farm size, unemployment, dependence on forests for fuelwood supply and subsistence farming

Trees For Food Security-2 Project, Rwanda Highlights

The ‘Developing integrated options and accelerating scaling up of agroforestry for improved food security and resilient livelihoods in Eastern Africa’ project also known as Trees for Food Security phase 2 (T4FS-2) is an Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) funded project aimed at improving food security and smallholder livelihoods through the widespread implementation of appropriate locally adapted agroforestry practices in key agricultural landscapes of Rwanda, Uganda and Ethiopia

Land change dynamics: insights from Intensity Analysis applied to an African emerging city

Land change in Kigali, Rwanda, is examined using Intensity Analysis, which measures the temporal stationarity of changes among categories. Maps for 1981, 2002 and 2014 were produced that show the land categories Built, Vegetated and Other, which is composed mainly of croplands and bare surfaces. Land change accelerated from the first time interval (1981–2002) to the second time interval (2002–2014), as increased human and economic activities drove land transformation. During the first interval, Vegetated showed net loss whereas Built showed net gain, in spite of a small transition directly from Vegetated to Built. During the second interval, Vegetated showed net gain whereas Built showed nearly equal amounts of gross loss and gross gain. The gain of Built targeted Other during both time intervals. A substantial portion of overall change during both time intervals consisted of simultaneous transitions from Vegetated to Other in some locations and from Other to Vegetated in other locations