More Trees and More Biomass Energy Options for Increased Energy Security within Households in Navakholo Sub-County, Kenya
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Date
2023-06
Authors
Waudo, Stacey
Koske, James
Waswa, Fuchaka
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
EANSO
Abstract
To date, most rural households in Navakholo constituency rely on wood fuel
for domestic energy requirements, especially cooking. The increasing
population is putting a lot of pressure on tree cover, its role in climate change
mitigation and biodiversity conservation notwithstanding. Switching to
energy alternatives within the biomass domain presents a policy option to
increase access to household energy. This paper reports on the emerging
trends in this regard. Spatial survey was used to track land use and tree cover
changes from 1990-2022. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data
from a sample size of 395 respondents selected through systematic random
sampling. A majority (78.9%) of the respondents indicated having adequate
(covering over 10% of the land) tree cover, with woodlots accounting for
39.8% and trees planted along fences at 37.3%. Nevertheless, 43.4% of the
households indicated that the fuelwood supply was not able to meet
household energy demand. Chi-square analysis indicated that there was a
significant relationship between household biomass usage, tree density and
adequacy of fuel wood in the area (p = .004 and p = .004), indicating that
firewood remains the choice energy source despite the apparent diminishing
tree cover. This paper calls for the need to increase tree cover and access to
alternative biomass options.
Description
Article
Keywords
Tree Cover, Biomass Options, Energy Security, Rural Household, Kenya
Citation
Waudo, S., Koske, J. & Waswa, F.(2023). More Trees and More Biomass Energy Options for Increased Energy Security within Households in Navakholo Sub-County, Kenya. East African Journal of Environment and Natural Resources, 6(1), 178-197. https://doi.org/10.37284/eajenr.6.1.1278.