regional wood energy development programme in asia ... - CES (IISc)

Within the four main supply areas there are 6 six main villages and five nearby villages,
from where labour is drawn, which can be considered as woodfuel supply centres. The population
size and the number of households as well as the number of people engaged in woodfuel
gatherering and trading, etc. in these villages, are shown in table 4.1. Most of the people in the 11
villages, engaged in fuel collection and trade, are primarily farmers. However, for generations they
have been supplementing their income, in particular during the off-farm season, by extracting forest
products.
Table 4.1 Villages engaged in woodfuel collection and trade in the study area.
Village/
Sub-village
Hlaingdet
Thahtaygon
Kywetatson
Yinmabin
- Madan
- Monpinson
Yebokson
- Kubyin
- Monpin
- Oakkyin
Pyinyaung
No. of
Households
1,408
77
197
768
90
150
229
21
51
59
313
Population
size
7,044
511
1,063
4,097
572
976
1,195
79
225
322
1,376
12
No. of people regularly engaged in
Trade Collection Total
13
2
3
10
n.a.
n.a.
6
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
17
100
40
110
176
n.a.
n.a.
130
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
91
113
42
113
186
n.a.
n.a.
136
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
108
Total 3,363 17,460 51 647 698
As shown in figure 4.1, the woodfuel resource areas lie along the highway and the railway
line that connect the Central Dry Zone and the Shan State. The six main collection and supply
centres are all located along these transport ways between Pyinyaung and Meiktila. Both the
highway and the railway are used to transport woodfuels to Meiktila which lies at a distance of
about 50 miles from the supply area.
4.1 The Main Collection and Trade Centres
4.1.1 Hlaingdet Village
Hlaingdet is the largest trade and collection centre in the area. It is located about 7 miles
from Thazi and 21 miles from Meiktila. The centre specializes in bamboo and there are about 100
regular fuel gatherers who work for the 13 traders. Bamboo is collected from the Yupadaung
Reserve which is located about 3 miles from the village. Since 1970 the village has been supplying
bamboo for use as fuel to the evaporated milk industries in Thazi, Meiktila, Pyawbwe and Wundwin.
In fact, Hlaingdet can be considered as the pioneer in promoting the use of bamboo as a substitute
source of energy for the production of evaporated milk in the dry zone.