Implication of energy poverty on health & environment

The Burden of Fuel Collection

Traditionally, in developing regions reliant on biomass, women and children are responsible for fuel collection, a time-consuming and exhausting task. The average fuelwood load in sub-Saharan Africa is around 20 kg but loads of 38 kg have also been recorded. Women can suffer serious long-term physical damage from strenuous work without sufficient recuperation.

This risk, as well as the risk of falls, bites or assault, rises steeply the further from home women have to walk, for example because of conversion of land to agricultural uses.
Figure 9 shows the distance travelled for fuelwood collection in rural areas of Tanzania. The average distance is highest in the central region of Singida, at over ten kilometres per day, followed by the western regions near Lake Tanganyika, where it is greater than five kilometres per day.

Collection time has a significant opportunity cost, limiting the opportunity for women and children to improve their education and engage in income-generating activities. Many children, especially girls, are withdrawn from school to attend to domestic chores related to biomass use, reducing their literacy and restricting their economic opportunities.

Modern energy services promote economic development and raise household incomes by enhancing the productivity of labour and capital. More efficient technologies provide higher-quality energy services at lower costs and free up household time, especially that of women and children, for more productive purposes.

Figure 9
Distance Travelled to Collect Fuelwood in Rural Tanzania

Source: Household Budget Survey 2000/01, National Bureau