Browsing by Author "Doggart, Nike"

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Detecting and predicting forest degradation: a comparison of ground surveys and remote sensing in Tanzanian forests
(Plants, People, Planet (PPP), 2021-01-08) Ahrends, Antje; Bulling, Mark T.; Platts, Philip J.; Swetnam, Ruth; Ryan, Casey; Doggart, Nike; Hollingsworth, Peter M.; Marchant, Robert; Balmford, Andrew; Harris, David J.; Gross-Camp, Nicole; Sumbi, Peter; Munishi, Pantaleo; Madoffe, Seif; Mhoro, Boniface; Leonard, Charles; Bracebridge, Claire; Doody, Kathryn; Wilkins, Victoria; Owen, Nisha; Marshall, Andrew R.; Schaafsma, Marije; Pfliegner, Kerstin; Jones, Trevor; Robinson, James; Topp-Jørgensen, Elmer; Brink, Henry; Burgess, Neil D.
Tropical forest degradation is widely recognised as a driver of biodiversity loss and a major source of carbon emissions. However, in contrast to deforestation, more gradual changes from degradation are challenging to detect, quantify and monitor. Here, we present a field protocol for rapid, area-standardised quantifications of forest condition, which can also be implemented by non-specialists. Using the ex- ample of threatened high-biodiversity forests in Tanzania, we analyse and predict degradation based on this method. We also compare the field data to optical and radar remote-sensing datasets, thereby conducting a large-scale, independent test of the ability of these products to map degradation in East Africa from space. • Our field data consist of 551 ‘degradation’ transects collected between 1996 and 2010, covering >600 ha across 86 forests in the Eastern Arc Mountains and coastal forests. • Degradation was widespread, with over one-third of the study forests—mostly protected areas—having more than 10% of their trees cut. Commonly used opti- cal remote-sensing maps of complete tree cover loss only detected severe im- pacts (≥25% of trees cut), that is, a focus on remotely-sensed deforestation would have significantly underestimated carbon emissions and declines in forest quality. Radar-based maps detected even low impacts (<5% of trees cut) in ~90% of cases. The field data additionally differentiated types and drivers of harvesting, with spa- tial patterns suggesting that logging and charcoal production were mainly driven by demand from major cities. • Rapid degradation surveys and radar remote sensing can provide an early warning and guide appropriate conservation and policy responses. This is particularly im- portant in areas where forest degradation is more widespread than deforestation, such as in eastern and southern Africa.
The influence of energy policy on charcoal consumption in urban households in Tanzania
(Elservier, 2020) Doggart, Nike; Ruhinduka, Remidius; Meshack, Charles K; Ishengoma, Romanus C; Morgan-Brown, Theron; Abdallah, Jumanne M; Spracklen, Dominick V; Sallu, Susannah M
The sustainability of energy use in the residential sector has relevance for global initiatives to achieve sustainable development and limit climate change. Using the city of Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania, as a case study, we look at how national energy policy has influenced household cooking energy use between 1990 and 2018, and how en- ergy policy could achieve further progress to realise national and global priorities. The study involved question- naire surveys of households, retailers, transporters and producers of charcoal; semi-structured interviews with government officials and non-charcoal fuel suppliers; price data collection; a comparative analysis of prices and taxes for different cooking fuels; and policy and document review. Trends in energy policy and demand for different fuels, are compared. We find that Tanzania's national energy policies have focused on achieving an energy transition from biomass to electricity and fossil fuels, with an increasing focus on supply-side issues. Fiscal policy tools have been used effectively to reduce demand for kerosene, while increasing demand for lique- fied petroleum gas. However, this has not resulted in a transition away from biomass, with most households using multiple fuels (fuel stacking). Charcoal remains the cheapest (excluding firewood) and most widely used fuel, reflecting the strong influence of price in consumer fuel choices. Energy policy needs to acknowledge the continued dominance of charcoal in urban energy use. In the context of rapid urbanisation and increased energy demand, there is a need for sustainable urban energy planning across a range of fuel types including charcoal, in ways that balance economic, social and environmental outcomes. Greater inter-sectoral coordination is needed to improve the sustainability of urban residential energy supplies. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of International Energy Initiative. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).