Deforestation is taking its toll on Africa, and Somaliland is feeling the brunt as charcoal is becoming too expensive, yet so many rely on it for fuel. Insufficient cheaper alternatives and a large former refugee population are fuelling tree-felling and dependence on charcoal in the self-declared republic of Somaliland, adversely affecting the environment, say analysts.
According to a 2007 study by the Academy for Peace and Development, more than 2.5 million trees are felled annually and burned for charcoal in Somaliland. The report stated that each household in Somaliland consumed an equivalent of 10 trees a month.
According to researchers, one of the main drivers of deforestation in Africa is the need for fuel. In sub-Saharan Africa only 7.5% of the rural population has access to electricity, according to a 2009 report on the state of the world’s forests. "As household incomes and investment in appropriate alternatives remain low, wood is likely to remain an important energy source in Africa in the coming decades…" it stated.
Forecasts made in 2001 suggested a 34% increase in wood fuel consumption from 2000 to 2020. "However, the rise in fuel prices in the past two years suggests that this increase is likely to be even greater. The share of wood fuel in the total energy supply is likely to decline, but the absolute number of people dependent on wood energy is predicted to grow," it stated. "The forest situation in Africa presents enormous challenges, reflecting the larger constraints of low income, weak policies and inadequately developed institutions."