69
The special challenge of illegal trade in wood
fuel and charcoal
Official estimates by the FAO suggest that just under half
of tropical wood consumption in Asia (range 36–98%), and
in Latin America (range 8–85%) is used for woodfuel.
140
The
remaining half in both regions is divided into sawnwood and
pulp for the paper industry, and other products. Charcoal
and pulp are particularly subject to exploitation by criminals.
In Africa 90% of wood consumed is estimated used for
woodfuel and charcoal (East Africa 94%, North Africa 96%,
Central Africa 87%, South Africa 49%, West Africa 92%).
141
In Asia woodfuel is 70% of all wood, and in the world 53%.
142
Africa has an official charcoal production of 30.6 million
tons in 2012, worth approximately USD 6.1–24.5 billion
annually at the point of sale.
143
The total export number
for Africa is only 1.4 percent of production.
144
Such a low
figure is unrealistically small, considering the key impor-
tance of charcoal in African local energy consumption, and
its related widespread trade. The relative export percentages
of other products indicate how unusually small the official
charcoal export figures are. Industrial roundwood export is
5% of production, sawnwood is 28%, and paper and pulp
combined is 16%. Indeed, the official exports of charcoal
from most African countries amount only to a few truck-
loads annually cross-border.
Figure 13:
Current population projections by UN’s Population
Division suggest an increase from the current ca. 0.9 billion
to 2.1 billion people by 2050 in Sub-Saharan Africa. The UN
further estimates the urbanization for Sub-Saharan Africa,
currently at 38 percent, to increase to 56.5 percent in 2050.
Population growth in Sub-Saharan and Central Africa
Millions
Projected
Projected year for double
the 2010 population
Sub-Saharan
Africa
Central Africa
0
500
1 000
1 500
2 000
1950
1975
2000
2010
2050
2025
Kenyan Police Corporal celebrated by Kenyan
Forest Service and Kenyan Wildlife Service
for integrity and services to conservation
Corporal David Chumo is a police officer at Ntulele
Police Station in Narok County, Kenya, who has declined
repeated offers of bribes from traffickers of wildlife and
charcoal. Chumo has instead of taking bribes made a
series of arrests for wildlife and forest crimes.
Chumo’s arrests include that of a trafficker carrying 840
kg of giraffe meat in January 2013; a charcoal transport in
July 2013; and five people ferrying charcoal in September
2013. These arrests came after Kenya Wildlife Service
celebrated Chumo for turning down a bribe and instead
arresting a trafficker of 6 tons of giraffe meat from the
Masai Mara Game Reserve.
Personally passionate about the disappearance of clean
water and environmental degradation’s effect in its own
right, and negative impact on tourism, Chumo wants to
be an example to inspire others: “I want to leave a legacy
of patriotism in the force. I want to hear that people want
to emulate me. This is what gives me the passion.”
Standardmedia.co.ke 16 April 2014
