Month: January 2010

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”

African Development

I have spent all my working life in Africa.  This has taken me to 24 different countries, working in water resources management (and taking a few hundred photographs along the way).  One thing you learn early in this type of work is that if you can’t ‘go with the flow’, you shouldn’t be there!  Things seldom work according to plan.  Everyone who does such work has a pack of stories to tell – you can read some of mine in Category 3 – “Travel experiences in Africa”.

I hasten to note that although many of these experiences lay bare the ubiquitous low level chaos which bedevils most of what happens on the continent and is also part of its enduring charm, it is the people who really count.  Across the length and breadth of Africa you will find the very best of people, soldiering on against all the odds.  The first story is “How to catch a flight from Abuja.”