Enhancing availability, access and use efficiency of biomass energy in rural agro-ecosystems in Kakamega County, Kenya
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Date
2024-07
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
To date, most rural households in Kenya rely on wood fuel for domestic energy requirements, especially cooking. Increasing population is putting a lot of pressure on tree cover, its role in climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation notwithstanding. Therefore, assessing the biomass energy value-chain with the view of enhancing rural energy security is a policy option worth consideration. Accordingly, the overall objective of this study was to assess availability, accessibility and value-addition of biomass energy sources within rural households in Navakholo Sub-County, in order to contribute to policy options towards rural energy security, reduced energy footprints and increased tree and forest cover in the region. Spatial analysis using GIS procedures was used to track and map trends in land use and tree cover, hence biomass energy availability from 1990 to 2020. Social survey using questionnaires, Focus group Discussions and key informant interviews were used to gather the human interface with the land use and land cover dynamics focussing on availability, access, use-efficiency, value-addition and management practices around biomass and alternative energy sources. A total of 394 households were sampled through systematic random sampling. Questionnaire data was cleaned, coded and entered into an excel spreadsheet and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Focus Group Discussion and key informant interview data was thematised and subjected to content analysis, and finally used as narratives to enrich the results from the spatial analysis. Trends analysis showed a steady decline in tree and forest cover at 12.02% from 1990 to 2020. Chi square analysis revealed a significant relationship (p=0.000, df = 12) between tree cover and adequacy of fuelwood. Regression analysis showed that households that used charcoal and cow dung had appropriate tree cover. Chi square analysis revealed a significant relationship (p=0.000, df=3) between biomass energy and value addition. There has been an overall decline in tree and forest cover in Navakholo, thus affecting availability of biomass energy. Although Navakholo sub-county is a maize and sugarcane zone, value-addition on agricultural biomass through briquetting is generally non-existent. Much of the maize cobs are directly used as low energy fuel or simply left to rot away. Cow dung is mainly used as manure, instead of being also used as raw material in biogas production, because of the high initial costs. Although charcoal is a value-added product on wood fuel, respondents viewed it only as an energy alternative for those who could afford it. With appropriate exposure and capacity development, briquetting of agricultural biomass, particularly maize cobs has the potential to enhance rural energy security in the area. Overall, decreasing tree cover combined with a lack of value addition on the availability of biomass poses serious environmental implications for the future. As such there is need for an integrated strategy for increasing household tree cover of appropriate species; capacity building in value addition of agricultural biomass and increased adoption of improved cook stoves to enhance use efficiency of biomass energy. Creating incentives for alternative income opportunities to enable households invest in other energy options notably biogas energy, electricity and liquefied petroleum gas merit urgent attention at the national and county policy levels
Description
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of doctor of philosophy in environmental studies (climate change and sustainability) in the school of agriculture and environmental sciences of Kenyatta University, July 2024
Supervisors
Dr. James Koske
Prof. Fuchaka Waswa