Households charcoal consumption, sustainability and its environmental impact in montserrado county, liberia
Loading...
Date
2024
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The consumption of charcoal is a prevalent practice for many
households in Montserrado County, Liberia. Charcoal serves as a
primary source of cooking fuel for many families. While charcoal
may be a readily available and affordable energy source, its
production and consumption have significant environmental and
sustainability concerns. The aim of this study was geared towards
analyzing the factors influencing household charcoal consumption
and the associated negative environmental consequences in
Montserrado County, Liberia. Its sole objective was to gather
necessary information to aid policy formulation on sustainable
charcoal production and consumption in Liberia. Specifically, the
study intended to look at the factors influencing households’
charcoal consumption, determine the challenges associated with
charcoal consumption in the study area, identify the main sources of
energy in the study area, and determine the environmental impacts
associated with charcoal consumption. In this study, a Cross-
sectional research design was adopted. The sample size was 386
respondents in Montserrado County. Quantitative data were
collected and descriptive statistics and regression models were both
used with the aid of SPSS (Version 20) in analyzing the data.
Findings from the multiple linear regression model showed that
household’s education level, number of meals per day, price of
charcoal and household size were statistically significant (p < 0.05)
associated with household’s charcoal consumption in Montserrado
County. Furthermore, respondents identified high price (22.7%), low
quality (21.6%) and dirtiness of homes (20%) as main challenges
faced in the consumption of charcoal. Moreover, it was evident that
increase in household’s charcoal consumption influenced charcoal
production. More than half of the respondents (65.5%) strongly
agreed that the unsustainable production of charcoal is one of the
drivers of deforestation and (25.13%) agreed that the unsustainable
production of charcoal also disrupt the soil profile, thus devastating
the environment. Based on the findings from this study, to address
the challenges posed by high charcoal consumption and its
associated adverse environmental impacts, it is crucial to promote
sustainable energy practices, increase hydro-electricity power
supply, raise awareness about the environmental impact, subsidize
the production of energy efficient technologies to reduce charcoal
consumption and production, regulate the charcoal industry, and
support research and development of alternative cleaner energy
technologies such as solar, and briquettes as well as initiating
education programs tailored to sustainable charcoal consumption
and production in the study area. On the other hand, it is believed
that the introduction of Low-cost retort-kiln or Improved Charcoal
Production System (ICPS) will help minimize the adverse effects on
the environment caused by charcoal production processes. In
addition, engaging local communities, offering incentives, and
fostering collaborations among stakeholders will further contribute to
a more sustainable energy landscape and forest conservation in the
region.
Description
MSc Dissertation
Keywords
Households charcoal, Sustainability, LAW/JURISPRUDENCE::Other law::Environmental law, Liberia, Montserrado country