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Bioenergy and Food Security (BEFS) Assessment and Capacity Building for Zambia - TCP/ZAM/3701

Year of publication 2021

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 11

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Project

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) In Zambia, current statistics indicate that 77 percent of the country’s primary energy relies on traditional biomass, while only 4 4 percent of the rural population has access to electricity This is compounded by the fact that 47 8 percent of the population in Zambia is undernourished and 60 5 percent lives below the national poverty line Access to modern, affordable and reliable energy is fundamental to ensure development and food security and is directly related to the four pillars of food security Bioenergy is a key form of renewable energy that can be sourced from a number of biomass options, including crop residues, livestock residues and sustainably managed forest resources and residues When managed sustainably, it can provide multiple benefits, including energy provision, employment and rural development The Government of Zambia has given high priority to developing a sustainable biomass energy strategy However, while there are broad policy goals in place and targets have been set to tackle access to modern energy, there is insufficient evidence and knowledge to define which bioenergy pathways can contribute sustainably to the envisaged targets To address these challenges, the Government of Zambia requested that FAO provide technical assistance to enhance capacity to analyse options for the development of a sustainable bioenergy sector in the country.

Language English

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    The lack of access to modern energy in Rwanda has resulted in a heavy reliance on traditional and unsustainable biomass for energy production Approximately 85 percent of all energy used in the country is supplied by biomass, with an average of 1 8 tonnes of firewood consumed per year per household This dependence on biomass caused a 37 percent reduction of forest coverage in the country between the years 1990 and 2010 The lack of access to modern energy sources significantly limits modern agricultural practices, such as irrigation, resulting in suboptimal yields and directly affects the socio economic development of farmers Furthermore, this dependence on wood fuel and charcoal for cooking in most rural household has been shown to adversely impact both human health and the environment Due to the aforementioned reasons, the Government of Rwanda is prioritizing the development of a biomass energy strategy and a sustainable bioenergy sector More specifically, the Ministry of Environment MoE has requested support in assessing sustainable bioenergy and identifying which bioenergy options can be environmentally sustainable and contribute to the targets set within the nationally determined contributions ( Thus, this project aimed to analyse and identify potential bioenergy feedstock and technologies that can be developed in the country for both decentralized energy production and for cooking purposes In addition, this project provided capacity building training on the use of the Bioenergy and Food Security ( tools to key stakeholders involved in the bioenergy sector and in the development of the Biomass Energy Strategy.
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    Sustainable Forest and Woodland Management for Food and Nutrition Security in Western Province of Zambia - TCP/ZAM/3601 2020
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    Western Province is characterized by difficult geographical and climatic conditions, with limited arable land that can sustain crop production. Approximately 60 percent is covered by forest, which provides a wide range of wood and Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFP) that are utilized by both local and urban communities. The sustainable use of NWFPs in Western Province remains a challenge because exploitation has not been adequately regulated and controlled by local authorities and communities. In general, NWFPs have been primarily used for subsistence purposes, especially by women. While various forest foods are available, they are selectively consumed by rural communities (e.g. mushrooms are widely consumed, whereas edible caterpillars, despite being widely available, are not). Beyond NWFPs, timber and wood fuel also contribute significantly to income security in rural areas of Western Province, with some communities being completely dependent on fuelwood for cooking and heating to ensure their health and nutrition.
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    Zambia is richly endowed with a wide range of biomass sources including woodlands, forests, agricultural residues and livestock waste. Biomass energy contributes supplies over 70 percent of the country’s energy needs. Due to the current extraction and consumption methods, the use of biomass energy has been linked with detrimental environmental effects such as deforestation and forest degradation as well as climate change, due to the loss of carbon sinks. Inefficient utilisation of biomass contributes significantly to deforestation which is estimated at between 79 000 – 150 000 ha per year, and negatively affects the health and income of rural households that depend on forest products for their livelihoods. Sustainable bioenergy strategies and alternative bioenergy solutions need to be defined and integrated into current efforts of the country to increase stable and sustainable access to energy. This report assesses the country context and defines which bioenergy options can be viable considering a number of solutions for electricity production, cooking fuels and transport fuels at the provincial and district level. Possible options originating from crop residues, livestock residues and forest plantation harvesting residues are identified, having netted out agriculture and forestry needs. The assessment now needs to be followed by local verification and investment to deploy an initial set of bioenergy projects and test the findings on the ground.
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