CHARCOAL BURNING

This is what has left with the mountain of Ugele after an extensive charcoal production and firewood collection practiced in the area.

UGELE area of peri-urban, Nduli Ward in Iringa Municipal Council is notorious place where charcoal is rampant hence deforestation and forest degradation, ‘The Guardian’ has discovered on Friday.

Charcoal is a dominant cooking energy for over 80 percent of urban dwellers across the country. Charcoal burning is mostly illegal, but carried out by local people who have no alternative means of income.

The mountains in the left without trees, that is, they bear due extensive charcoal burning, firewood collection and slash and burn which are going on uncontrolled.

According to the Ugele-Manyigi locality chairman Jamrus Daudi Mwisaka, mountains in Ugele were covered with natural forests but to economic activities like charcoal burining and firewood collection and farming on the slope of mountains have made that kind of situation today.

He said that sustainable charcoal production would cut deforestation by promoting alternative methods of preparing charcoal.

Meanwhile, Ugele Primary School (20km) from Iringa Town is implement firewood project for school to raise some income because the government allocates the school with the smallest capitation grant compared other schools in the municipality.

Ugele Primary School head teacher, Magendo Yudah Lusapi, acknowledged that his school was engaging in firewood project of selling firewood to local community and outsiders for the raise some income.

The school has been given 54,000/- as capitation grant for six months October 2009-March 2010. The school has the total number of 93 pupils and only five teachers.

According to the head teacher, the pupils are told to come with firewood from home at least twice in a week, but the firewood piled up in classrooms for storage purpose.

However, there is need to employ new strategy to overcome this current situation by maybe introducing sustainable charcoal production in the area by introducing reforestation and afforestation program hence reduce the trend.

Apart from that, the government and other partners should engage to invest and educate villagers on the importance sustainable charcoal production, by planting of trees hence reduce deforestation and forest degradation in the area. Sustainable charcoal production would cut deforestation by promoting alternative methods of preparing charcoal.