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2. FIREWOOD AND POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE
SOLUTIONS
2.1 BURUNDIAN CONTEXT
Most, if not all, refugee and IDP operations have a common and often quite
significant dependency on having to provide or access natural resources as form of
domestic energy. Burundi is no exception, though in this case the issue has become
quite serious and efforts are being made to reduce the current volumes of wood being
collected and provided to the camps.
Climate change will have a further impact on forest resources due to potential changes
in rainfall, temperature and diseases. Plantations and reforestation initiatives will in
future need to adapt to these changing conditions. In addition, 20 per cent of global
greenhouse gas emissions originate from deforestation and forest degradation, which
is particularly relevant in the African context.
To this end, a target has been set to try and find alternative solutions to firewood in
order to reduce its use by 75 per cent in the three Congolese refugee camps managed
by NRC.
Burundi does not possess extensive forest cover, either natural or under plantations
(see Table 1). In addition, according to available data, 95 per cent of wood consumed
in Burundi is for household energy, with the remainder being used for construction.
This figure is again not unique to Burundi, but is on a par with most other sub-
Saharan countries.
Table 1. An estimate of land use in Burundi is summarised in the following table
(source: UNDP/FAO)
Land use Area (ha) %
Natural forests 50,000 2
Plantations 124,000 5
Savannah, pastures, 940,000 33
Non-commercial crops 1,210,000 43
Commercial crops 104,000 4
Marshland 112,000 5
Lakes 218,000 8
Towns 25,000 1
Total 2,783,400 100
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