The practice of illegal charcoaling refers to the felling of trees in protected areas to make charcoal, which is then sold on to passing trucks bound for the cities. It is a huge problem some areas as it decimates the landscape, ridding it of trees and other vegetation that rely on woodlands for survival. This impacts the wildlife that lives there, either destroying it or forcing species to move further afield. In short, charcoaling destroys fragile ecosystems that have been decades if not hundreds of years in the making.
It is easy to vilify those involved in the trade of charcoaling in protected areas, however the root of the cause is very often limited economic opportunities for people living in extremely remote areas. Many families from these rural communities have no alternative way of making a living and charcoaling can be their only income source.
So although confiscating and destroying logging equipment is one step towards eradicating this practice, it is essential that communities are empowered to take care of their own natural resources through alternative economic opportunities. Peace Parks and partners are working with communities to develop these long-term, sustainable solutions.
To further prevent deforestation, more eco-friendly ways of cooking, such as the use of fuel-efficient cookstoves, is great news for the environment. Not only do these cookstoves reduce greenhouse gas emittance by 80% when compared to cooking on traditional open fires using large logs, they require only a few small twigs to generate the same heat. As the stoves cook faster and use less fuel, another benefit is that those responsible for cooking and fuel collection, usually young girls, can dedicate more time to education.
Alternative livelihoods such as beekeeping, conservation agriculture or employment opportunities such as field ranger work go hand-in-hand with communities’ ability to preserve their own resources.
The long-term goal for Peace Parks and partners is to assist communities with these interventions that will enable them to act as guardians over their own precious resources, like forests. Only a cocktail of efforts can lead to long-lasting change so that families are not forced to fall back on practices that destroy their own precious natural resources.
