Implementing Agency  | Programme Lead  |
| Malawi
Malawi is one of the world's least developed countries, ranking 168
out of 174 countries according to the Human Development Index of
the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). With a gross
national product (GNP) per capita of US$ 170 Malawi is behind the
average of Sub-Saharan African states.
Its economy is predominantly agricultural, with 85% of the people
living in rural areas. The population of about 12 million is
growing at a rate of 3.2% each year. With a land area of 94,000
square kilometres, Malawi is one of Sub-Saharan Africa's most
densely populated countries. This as well as the extreme poverty
put great pressure on the environment for more farmland and
fuelwood.
Malawi's annual deforestation rate is amongst the highest in Africa
(2.8% per year). As forest areas continue to dwindle, environmental
problems as erosion, flash floods and river siltation are
increasing.
Furthermore, women have to walk long distances for collecting
firewood. This added burden prevents them from other productive
economic and household activities. In some regions even rural
households start buying wood from traders as collection is no more
feasible.
Find out more about Malawi:
- Biomass energy Situation in Malawi
- Biomass energy conservation interventions
- Contact details
Biomass Energy Situation in Malawi
Biomass Energy Demand/Consumption
Biomass energy contributes over 95% of Malawi's primary energy
supply and over 90% of total energy demand, mainly used in the form
of firewood and charcoal. Other energy sources as electricity,
petroleum products, coal and other renewable energy sources account
for only 7%. Household energy demands are satisfied to 99% by
biomass as the Department of Energy Affairs estimated in 2000. More
than half of all urban households are using charcoal while firewood
is used in rural (97%), peri-urban and urban households (38%).
Apart from the households, woodfuels are also used in institutions,
public as well as private ones. Private sector activities, e.g. the
tobacco industry rely also heavily on firewood for their
production.
Biomass Energy Supply
Malawi has one of Southern Africa highest deforestation rates.
Forest reserves have declined in the past 25 years from 47% to 28%
of the countrys area mainly due to the growing demand for
woodfuel. This demand exceeds sustainable supply by 3.7 million
tonnes annually, which leads to a destruction of 50,000 to 75,000
hectares of natural forests. To keep pace with the demand for wood
the country needs to plant 160 million trees per annum. Currently,
only 20-30 million trees are planted each year. Especially the
indigenous forests are in a very bad state since there are no
adequate reafforestation programs. In regions where firewood is not
any longer available or easy to collect, it has become a commodity.
There are regions where people spend over 50% of their available
cash budget for cooking energy.
Policies and Institutions
All energy issues are handled within the Ministry of Energy, Mines
and Natural Resources and its diverse departments. Mainly the
Department of Energy Affairs and the Department of Forestry provide
policy guidance and enforcement of the law pertaining to biomass
resources and biomass energy. Energy Policies are confined to the
utilisation of biomass as a source of energy and these address
issues of efficient use and technology, promotion of alternatives
and rural energisation for economic transformation. Current
discussions on biomass energy focus on the production and
utilisation of charcoal. Since the traditional production of
charcoal needs 9 tonnes of wood to produce one tonne of charcoal,
it is highly inefficient and wasteful. At the moment the Department
of Energy Affairs is trying to constrict the use of charcoal and to
develop and promote alternatives. In terms of pollution, this is
dealt with in the Environmental Management Act but enforcement is
quite weak.
Biomass Energy Conservation Interventions
ProBEC biomass energy conservation interventions take place in the
field of rural and urban households as well as in institutions and
the private sector. With the Information Centre for Food & Fuel
Security Promotion (IFSP), based in Mulanje, ProBEC has got a
research and training centre on energy saving technologies. It is
working with partner organisations throughout the whole country to
mainstream household energy concepts into different sectors of
society. Depending on the needs of the end users, clay stoves,
household and institutional Rocket Stoves are promoted as well as
improved barns based on the rocket technology for tobacco curing.
For ensuring sustainability of its activities and services, IFSP
follows a commercial approach. Stoves are not given out for free
but are sold by producers and bought by users. Starting with the
identification of market cases, producers are trained in building
stoves and in marketing skills. For rural households skills in
building clay stoves are passed on local women groups. All
activities are carried out in close collaboration with the
Department of Energy.
Apart from the ProBEC interventions there are some other
activities, governmental and non governmental ones. For reducing
the countrys dependency on firewood and charcoal the government
has started a project to promote alternative energy sources and
biomass energy conservation technologies. Focus lies on research on
alternatives as gel fuel stoves and ethanol stoves. The project
will have a period of five years.
Contact details Malawi
ProBEC National Coordinator
CAPS Msukwa
Plot 319 / Area 10
Lilongwe
Phone: +265 (0)1 794 893
Cell: +265 (0)8 204 890
probec.gtz-malawi@gtz.de
Information Centre for Food & Fuel Security
Promotion
Sipho Moyo Office Manager
P.O. Box 438, Mulanje
Phone: +265 (0)1 466 369
Fax: +265 (0)1 466 369
ifspmanager@africa-online.net
Dept. of Energy Affairs Private Bag 309 Lilongwe 3
Phone: +265 (0)1 770 688
Fax: +265 (0)1 770 094/771 954
Email: doenergy@malawi.net
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