The prospects for commercial charcoal production from logging residues in Ghana.
1992
Nketiah, K. S.
Charcoal plays a key role in the Ghanaian national economy. It is the domestic fuel for about 70% of urban households. Some small-scale industries and commercial activities also depend on it. The current annual production is about 480,000 metric tonnes which is equivilent to 4.8 million m3 of roundwood, about four times the volume of timber production in Ghana. Charcoal accounts for between 2 to 3% of the Gross National Product and its production, distribution and marketing provides jobs for about 55,000 people. Close to 80% of the production comes from the savannah zone where both the wood quality, vegetation, soil texture and whether conditions favour large small production. The sustainability of the wood supply situation has become a problem in recent times because of the destruction of the woodlands primarily from harvesting for charcoal production. In the mean time, over 50% of the timber trees felled in the close forest zone is left in the forest as residues in one form or another. In 1990 alone, 0.72 million tons or 1.36 million m3 of various types of logging residues were generated. Given the key role of charcoal in the national economy, it necessary to ensure its production on a sustainable basis. A workshop organised in 1990 on sustaining charcoal production in Ghana recommended that charcoal production activities be shifted from poorly managed and devastated forest areas to areas with well managed forestry activities which produce wood residues. The paper identifies these area, quantify the residues generated and assesses their suitability for charcoal production.
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Эту запись предоставил Forestry Research Institute of Ghana