Fuelwood Crisis
As if the fuel wood crisis wasn’t enough of a drain on the forests of Africa, there are several other uses for wood that contribute to deforestation and land degradation, such as logging, which is among the major threat to African forests. In 1998 the World Resources Institute (WRI) launched a project called Global Forest Watch (GFW) which combines satellite imagery, geographic information systems, mapping software, and the internet to gather data that will help governments and conservation groups map and prevent what is happening to the worlds rapidly disappearing forests. So far parts of Africa seem to be in the worst shape. At the current rate of expansion the WRI estimates about 35% of Africa’s total forest will be lost in the next 15 to 20 years. Cameroon is one of the countries in Africa most affected by logging. Between 1959 and today, about 80 percent of Cameroon’s unprotected forest has been allocated for logging. In fact, Cameroon ranks fifth !among the worlds largest timber exporters. Medicinal uses are also responsible for consuming wood. Pygeum trees, also known as prunus Africana are some of the most sought after trees in the world. Pygeum trees are large evergreen trees that only grow in
Some cultures followed traditional agricultural methods of clearing a field, cultivating it for a few years, moving to a new area while forest re growth restores the original site. While the foreign aid proposals in the U. These areas then become abandoned and can never be used again. It also frees up time and improves the health of rural women who are responsible for collecting the wood and kitchens are no longer filled with harmful smoke from fireplaces. Today it is the best solar cooker worldwide for several reasons. The local communities, where most of the logging takes place, have unsufruct rights, meaning they have the right to produce on the land but the resources such as trees belong to the government. Employment also affects the government’s decision to rely on wood to maintain a solid economy. Logging and timber exportation give the government their strong economy but what! happens when all the wood is gone?Another problem with that stems from the government is property rights. On average the sunstove can be built for about eight to ten US dollars and most are sold for around twenty.
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Acceptance Essays
