Growing more trees for fuelwood in the Northern Transvaal or redistribution after sustainable harvesting?

Abstract

A model of the supply and demand for fuelwood within Region G is considered against the background of the plant nursery programme of the Biomass Initiative. Despite severe deficit in fuelwood supply in the homeland areas, the region as a whole could be self‐sufficient in sustainably harvested fuelwood from natural vegetation given redistribution of fuelwood from areas in the region where sustainable supply is in excess of demand (mainly conservation areas and commercial grazing areas and to a lesser extent commercial forestry plantations); an appropriate transport and distribution system; and multi‐purpose land‐use management. Redistribution would provide jobs within the neglected rural sector and the stimulus for additional industries around other natural resources. It would obviate the need for nurseries aimed primarily at encouraging rural communities to plant trees to alleviate the fuelwood shortage.

Notes

Wits Rural Facility and the Centre for African Ecology. University of the Witwatersrand. The author is Indebted to several WRF colleagues for comment on early drafts of this article and to the Wits Rural Facility. Forestek and The Green Trust for funding of aspects of this work.