BIOMASS ENERGY USE AT THE HOUSEHOLD LEVEL IN 2 VILLAGES OF BANGLADESH- ASSESSMENT OF FIELD METHODS

A study was conducted to assess biomass energy supply and use in two v illages in different agro-ecological regions of Bangladesh using three different techniques: broad questionnaire survey, sample questionnair e survey, and physical monitoring in order to see which methodology wa s more appropriate for the accurate assessment of biomass cooking ener gy supply and demand. The study included four broad socio-economic gro ups, i.e. large, medium, small and landless households. II was found t hat, per capita cooking energy demand varied significantly between the villages, socio-economic groups, and the first two methods of survey. Energy use was found to be strongly correlated with family size and e nergy use decreased according to landholding size. The broad questionn aire survey showed an average cooking energy use of 11.8 and 10.1 GJ p er capita/year, for Kazirshimla and Noagaon village, respectively, whi le the sample questionnaire survey estimated energy use at 9.2 and 8.5 GJ per capita/year. With physical monitoring, however, the respective figures were found as 9.0 and 8.2 GJ per capita/year. It was also fou nd that energy use was at the subsistence level in both villages. In K azirshimla village biomass supply was found to be marginally surplus t o use, while Noagaon had a supply deficit. The study showed that a bro ad questionnaire survey gives a fairly general picture of both biomass supply and use, but to assess cooking energy use more accurately succ essive sample questionnaire surveys followed by physical monitoring ar e more effective. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All righ ts reserved.