Charcoal Potential in Southern Africa

The CHAPOSA project investigated charcoal production and forest depletion in the supply areas of Lusaka (Zambia), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), and Maputo (Mozambique) between 1989 and 1998. The report finds that woodland cover is reducing in all three regions due to charcoal production and agricultural expansion, with the most severe depletion occurring around Maputo. While charcoal provides a critical income source for the rural poor and an affordable energy source for the urban poor, the current system is largely unregulated, with state licensing and fee collection being highly ineffective. The report recommends a coordinated policy approach: enforcing fiscal systems to fund forest management, while simultaneously providing rural agricultural support and expanding urban electricity access to reduce dependence on charcoal.

• Woodland cover decreased significantly in all three study areas between 1989 and 1998. The most dramatic reduction occurred in Maputo, where closed forest cover fell from 3% to 1% of the area. In Lusaka, reduction was 25% (from 32% to 24% of area covered), and in Dar es Salaam, it was 22% (from 22% to 17% of area covered).
• Without management interventions, wood resources are projected to decline sharply by 2015. The Maputo area is expected to retain only 15% of current resources (with 0% closed natural forest remaining), Dar es Salaam 20% (with 20% closed forest remaining), and Lusaka 80% (with 60% closed forest remaining).
• Charcoal production is a vital economic lifeline for rural populations. In Southern Mozambique, it accounts for 70% of cash income; in Tanzania, 75% of investigated farmers rely on it as an important income source; and in Zambia, it is described as virtually the only income source in rural areas following the collapse of the agricultural market.
• Real charcoal prices have remained surprisingly stable over at least the last decade across all three cities, typically staying slightly below 10 US cents per kg. This stability suggests that market forces are not yet signaling scarcity, despite the increasing distance to production areas.
• State-run licensing and fee systems for forest resources are largely ineffective and unenforced. In Maputo, it is estimated that only 1% of fees and licenses were collected; in Zambia, approximately 10%; and in Tanzania, about 25%.
• Indicators of non-sustainable forest use include the exploitation of non-preferred tree species, the encroachment into ecologically fragile areas such as hills and escarpments, and cutting rates that exceed regrowth over the long term.
• The report argues that enforcing the fiscal system (licensing and fees) must not be done in isolation, as it would increase consumer prices and reduce rural income. It must be paired with agricultural support in rural areas and the provision of alternative energy sources, specifically expanded electricity, in urban areas.
• Improved charcoal stoves have seen some success in Dar es Salaam, with a market penetration rate between 30% and 50%. However, improved kilns have largely failed to gain acceptance due to a lack of capital, power tools, and a short-term financial perspective among producers.

APA

Ellegård, A., Chidumayo, E., Malimbwi, R., Pereira, C., & Voss, A. (n.d.). Charcoal Potential in Southern Africa. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/chaposa.pdf

Chicago

Ellegård, Anders, Emmanuel Chidumayo, Rogers Malimbwi, Carla Pereira, and Alfred Voss. Charcoal Potential in Southern Africa. Stockholm Environment Institute, n.d. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/chaposa.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ellegård |first1=Anders |last2=Chidumayo |first2=Emmanuel |last3=Malimbwi |first3=Rogers |last4=Pereira |first4=Carla |last5=Voss |first5=Alfred |title=Charcoal Potential in Southern Africa |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/chaposa.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ellegrdndcharcoal, author = {Ellegård, Anders and Chidumayo, Emmanuel and Malimbwi, Rogers and Pereira, Carla and Voss, Alfred}, title = {{Charcoal Potential in Southern Africa}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/chaposa.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }