Potential Combaction of Deforestation Through Adoption of Some Energy Substitutes, Case of White Nile State

Abstract

Generally energy use is associated with an adverse effect on environment. In rural areas, fuel wood is very widely used, but serious shortages will expected to occur the century. In many poor countries, firewood gather are stripping huge areas of their tree and bush cover and this accelerates the process of desertification. Energy being one of the most fundamental factors for development, it enhances III sustainable livelihood and provides the power to make use of the natural resources to make life easier. This research attempts to investigate the efficiency and feasibility of using Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) and the improved cooking stoves in White Nile State and their contribution in reducing reliance on forest resources. Two types of data were used in this research, namely primary and secondary data. The secondary data includes files and documents. While primary data was collected through personal interviews with individuals using structured questionnaire, group discussion and observations. The main findings of the research are; despite the meager resources of the vegetation cover in the study area, still the local people due to acute poverty rely on the natural resources for the provision of fuelwood. The main sources of fuel in the study area are; fuelwood, agricultural residues, animal dung, kerosene, LPG. The level of LPG adoption is relatively high when the majority of the respondents possessed the appliances and the cylinders. Plan-Sudan Organization and the other private companies under the complete absence of the FNC LPG program, are the main sources of LPG in the study area. The majority of the respondents showed their ignorance of LPG program a clear indication of the limited dispersion of the intervention. However, the adopters of the program of LPG showed their interest to continue their reliance on the intervention for several factors like saving of time and money besides guarantee a healthy conditions indoors. Moreover, the adoption of improved cooking stoves is relatively low where the local people rely on the traditional and three stones stoves for cooking. The main reasons behind the low adoption of improve cooking stoves are; lack of sale centers, lack of training and extension services. The main conclusions drawn from the research are; fuel wood is one of the main items on which households expend their income. Fuel wood is collected directly from the reserved and natural forests due to the lack of governmental control over the vegetation cover and lack of enforcement of forest laws; The level of adoption of LPG in the study area is relatively high. Moreover, the study raised the following recommendation; The government should help to provide LPG and encourage use of improved cooking stoves, the FNC with NGOs should encourage local people to adopt LPG and improved cooking stove by given them loans and long period of installment to reduce the pressure on vegetation cover and reduce the rate of desertification.