Impacts of fuel wood scarcity and coping strategies among rural households in Lurambi District, Kakamega County, Kenya
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Date
2013
Authors
Waudo, Stacey Nawanjaya
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Abstract
Rural households in Kenya are highly dependent on fuel wood for their energy
needs. High population growth, deforestation at 20% (4061 ha degraded out
of a possible 19792 ha according to the Kakamega forest management plan)
combined with agricultural expansion has served to deepen the fuelwood
crisis causing a considerable gap in demand and supply of fuelwood. This
study, carried out in Lurambi District, Kakamega County examined factors
contributing to fuelwood scarcity, its imapcts and coping starategies among
rural houesholds.The study targeted households that were adversely affected
and use with the resource on a daily basis. Questionnaires were administered
to 200 randomly selected households between January and March 2012. An
interview schedule was used for key informants. Data was analyzed using the
Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for frequencies, percentages
and cross tabulation. The findings of the study revealed that fuelwood is a
dominant source of energy among 95% households in Lurambi with 84% of
the households experienced fuelwood scarcity. The sources of fuelwood
include the Kakamega forest and on farm sources. Deforestation, Government
restriction towards accesing the Kakamega forest, restricted access to
communal collection points cited by 52.5% of the households, privatization of
land and reducing land sizes have contributed to fuelwood scarcity. The
unavailability of fuelwood has had a negative impact on livelihoods
particulary on women in terms of time and resources spent in the collection of
fuelwood. Coping mechanisms include temporary switching to alternative
fuels, use of energy saving stoves and minimal use of fuelwood in a bid to
conserve the resource. Woodlots were observed in a few of the farms but was
not considered a priority among the households as the emphasis was on
agriculture. In conlcusion socio economic and environmental factors have an
impact on fuelwood scarcity and that various coping strategies are employed
in adopting to fuelwood scarity which are not sustainable in the long term.
Recommendations inculde collaboration between the community and
Government on benefit sharing within the forest, designation of communal
collection points, sustained woodfuel production projects and introduction of
affordable alternatives to the community.
Description
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment for the award of the degree of master of Environmental
Studies (climate change and sustainability) in the School of Environmental Studies of Kenyatta
University November, 2013. TP 324 .W3