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

1 INTRODUCTION
Most developing countries in the world depend for a large part on biomass as a source of
energy, not only for domestic use but for industrial applications as well. This in particular is true in
the case of Myanmar where 84% of the total amount of energy consumed is biomass based,
notably fuelwood and charcoal. The remaining 16% consists of commercial sources of energy like
oil, gas and electricity.
The heavy reliance on fuelwood and its possible adverse impacts was acknowledged by the
authorities as early as the fifties. Several fuelwood supply and demand studies were carried out
by the Forest Department of Myanmar (e.g. "The Fuelwood Situation in Burma" a study carried out
for the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission in 1959). In 1968 another study on the fuelwood and
charcoal situation was carried out for the Planning Department of the Ministry of Planning and
Finance. This study formed part of a country review on energy in Myanmar. Besides, other studies
were also carried out by the Forestry Department and the UNDP/World Bank. These studies
indicated that woodfuel problems existed. However, all these studies and assessments dealt with
the fuelwood situation of Myanmar on a national basis and therefore did not analyze the woodfuel
situation in specific areas of the country. In fact, up to now no detailed study for a specific area has
ever been carried out.
With 47% of its land area being
forested, Myanmar can still be considered
fortunate when compared to other Asian
countries. However, due to the continued
heavy reliance on wood as a source of
energy, the woodfuel situation has become
critical in several areas. Various surveys
and studies on the energy situation in
Myanmar have indicated that, out of 14
states and divisions, two states and six
divisions can be classified as fuel deficit
areas. Out of these fuel deficit areas, the
entire Mandalay Division, located in the dry
zone of central Myanmar, has been facing Figure 1.1 Forest cover of Myanmar. Forest
an acute scarcity of fuelwood for a long
Department 1991 (1989 Appraisal)
time. In order to meet the demand,
fuelwood is transported from the wetter fringe areas to the sparsely forested dry zone.
Along the eastern fringes of the central zone, in the border area of the Mandalay Division
and the Shan State, the woodfuel trade has been going on for a long time and is well established.
Hundreds of rural people, the majority being women and children, make their living from fuelwood
and bamboo fuel collecting and processing. However, very little is known about the trade, trading
mechanisms, end-users, on the sustainability of the resource base (in particular for bamboo fuel),
etc. For this reason the FAO Regional Wood Energy Development Programme in Asia, in
collaboration with the National Pilot Integrated Watershed Development Project for the Kinda Dam,
commissioned this study to get a better understanding of all factors involved, from production to
end-use. The present report describes the results of this study carried out in the eastern sector,
in particular in the Yinmabin and Pyinyaung forest reserves.
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