URBAN AND RURAL FUELWOOD SITUATION IN THE TROPICAL RAIN-FOREST AREA OF SOUTH-WEST NIGERIA

Our study describes a 1995 survey (1120 questionnaires) in the urban a nd rural rainforests of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria, on fuel use for cooking. We assessed the biofuel burning in Africa, in particular, and in tropical countries, in general. Included are,discussions of socioe conomic conditions, descriptions of the types and numbers of stoves, f uel and combustion characteristics, specific fuel consumption in both the private and commercial sectors, fuel sources and their availabilit y, and health effects caused by cooking with firewood. We determined t he weights and/or dimensions of fuel units, wood residues, fireplaces and combustion chambers. The consumptions of firewood (in kg cap(-1) y r(-1)) obtained by this method are of 515 in urban areas and 573 in ru ral areas. Wood usage is greater for low-income groups than for better situated householders who utilize kerosene, liquid petroleum gas (LPG ), and electricity for cooking. Agricultural residues are used to star t and support wood combustion; animal residues are not used as cooking fuels. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.