Patterns of rural household energy use: a study in the White Nile province - the Sudan

Thesis/Dissertation · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:5267496

Abdu, A S.E.

This study investigates rural household domestic energy consumption patterns in a semiarid area of the Sudan. It describes the socio-economic and environmental context of energy use, provides an estimation of local woody biomass production, and evaluates ecological impacts of increased energy demand on the local resource base. It is based on findings derived from field surveys, a systematic questionnaire, and participant observations. Findings indicate that households procure traditional fuels by self-collection and purchases. Household members spent on average 29 percent of their working time gathering fuels. Analysis of firewood consumption across income groups shows little variation among the households. In contrast, charcoal use rises with increasing income. Fuel consumption data are further subjected to regression analysis. Firewood is significantly determined by household size, while charcoal, kerosene/diesel (El Jaz El Ahmer), use are dependent on annual expenditure. Patterns of dung and crop remains use fit the framework of low resource base, high forestry depletion rates, and low incomes for most of the study area.

• Research Organization: Clark Univ., Worcester, MA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5267496
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290200 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Economics & Sociology
298000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Consumption & Utilization
530100* -- Environmental-Social Aspects of Energy Technologies-- Social & Economic Studies-- (-1989)
AFRICA
BIOMASS
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FUELS
HOUSEHOLDS
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RESOURCE DEPLETION
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
SUDAN
WOOD FUELS