deforestation – Season Images

Images of Charcoal Impacts in Africa

[Note: A selection of charcoal images is now available for purchase and download from the Image Market – HERE.]

Uganda and Ethiopia

Charcoal market in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

I have added to my collection of images showing the impacts of the wide spread practice of charcoal making on the environment in Africa, which results in vast areas of deforestation. (See the images in the Season Images Gallery.) The use of charcoal as a cheap household energy source is just about the only option open to the ever increasing urban fringe populations where firewood has long since gone and other options such as LPG or electricity are either not available or are too expensive. For a more detailed comment on charcoaling, go to my blog entitled “Charcoal and deforestation“. On travels in Africa at the end of 2010, I captured images in Uganda and Ethiopia of urban charcoal markets – a key element in the supply chain.

Kigali – the cleanest city in Africa?

I also visited Kigali in Rwanda where there is a surprising initiative underway which has resulted in the cleanest African city I have ever seen – not a spot of garbage anywhere. A cooperative called Association for the Conservation of the Environment (ACEN) which makes briquettes from garbage as an alternative to charcoal. Garbage is brought in to several centers throughout the city and paid for – providing a marginal income for some of the poorest and resulting in the cleanest African city I have ever seen! The garbage is separated before the organics are shredded, dried and molded into briquettes – the inorganics are recycled. This results in less demand for charcoal and less pressure on rural environments, which, together with a cleaner city is a win – win for everyone.

Its in the Eyes – Images of degradation

[Note: A selection of charcoal images is now available for purchase and download from the Image Market – HERE.]

Whilst on a development mission in Mozambique, in the relatively remote Sofala Province, I was struck again by the immense impact of the practice of charcoaling. All around was a haphazard devastation which no doubt grew insidiously, tree by tree. The challenge is how to capture the underlying tragedy of what was happening. I took a number of images but decided that the mood is best conveyed in sombre monotones. The starkness of the landscape is captured in high contrast – the drama of what is happening is reflected in the eyes of the children of Metuchira.

For information on charcoaling, see the Blog Post entitled Charcoal and deforestation

The images can be seen in the Season Images Gallery.

Children of Metichura — Children of Metuchira

Charcoal and deforestation

[Note: A selection of charcoal images is now available for purchase and download from the Image Market – HERE.]

If you travel virtually anywhere in rural Africa you cannot fail to notice a growing environmental crisis – deforestation caused by charcoaling. All households have basic energy needs which have to be met in the preparation of food, heating, boiling of water and other requirements. Traditionally these needs have been met with the use of fuelwood. With ever growing urbanization throughout Africa, fuelwood is not an option – the vegetation is just not available in urban fringe areas. Other options of electricity, kerosine and LPG gas are beyond the affordability of the vast majority of the poverty stricken urban fringe populations across the continent and so charcoal has become the only possible choice. Continue reading “Charcoal and deforestation”