Fuelwood consumption pattern at different altitudes in rural areas of Garhwal Himalaya

The use of fuelwood as a primary source of energy for domestic use is causing severe deforestation in Garhwal Himalaya. In the present study fuelwood consumption patterns have been studied in six villages; two each in tropical (Ganga Bhogpur and Kunow), sub-tropical (Bhainswara and Ghargoan) and temperate (Dhaulana and Chunnikhal) regions under various ecological and socio-economic conditions. The total average fuelwood consumption in the present study was observed to be highest for Ganga Bhogpur (2.52 kg per capita per day) in the tropical region, whereas, lowest for Ghargoan (1.63 kg per capita per day) in the sub-tropical region. The labour energy expenditure for fuelwood collection was greatest for Dhaulana (146.62 MJ per capita per day) in the temperate region, and lowest for Ganga Bhogpur (88.80 MJ per capita per day) in the tropical region. The fuelwood consumption rate oscillated considerably across the different seasons. The tree and shrub species preferred by the inhabitants for fuelwood were Holoptelea integrifolia, Anogeissus latifolia and Lantana camara in the tropical region; A. latifolia, Acacia catechu and Carissa spinarum in the sub-tropical region; and Quercus leucotrichophora, Myrica esculenta and Pyracantha crenulata in the temperate region, respectively.     

Fuelwood consumption patterns in Fakot watershed, Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand

Biomass is one of the key energy sources in rural India and constitutes 75% of the total energy consumption. In the tough mountain terrain, the consumption pattern depends on the availability of the resources as well as socio-economic conditions of the people. The present study is conducted at Fakot micro-watershed in Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India. The present paper explores the variations in fuelwood consumption pattern in the watershed level at different altitudes with respect to family size. In the present study, the fuelwood consumption in the watershed is in the range of 455-2388 gm/person/day. Absence of serial autocorrelation in the seasonal fuel consumption data is observed. Season specific models for fuel consumption are proposed.     

Energy budget of fodder harvesting pattern along the altitudinal gradient in Garhwal Himalaya, India

Fodder plays a major role in crop-livestock-manure-soil nutrient cycle of farms in middle mountains of the Himalaya. In Garhwal part of Indian Himalayan Region fodder is mainly collected by lopping the vegetative biomass of trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses. The present study was carried out to understand the fodder utilization pattern, energy budget and problems related to fodder biomass removal in existing traditional hill agro-ecosystems prevalent at different altitudes of Garhwal Himalaya. The total fodder collection at different altitudes varied for green and dry fodder. The total green fodder collection ranged from 64.4 ± 3.60 to 84.0 ± 6.23 kg household⁻¹ day⁻¹ whereas, total dry fodder collection ranged from 62.4 ± 1.66 to 80.4 ± 5.11 kg household⁻¹ day⁻¹. Fodder collection was varied in summer (March-October) and winter months (November-February) of the year. The labor energy expended for fodder collection varied from 832.78 ± 61.05 to 1192.44 ± 45.66 MJ household⁻¹ year⁻¹. In last few years fodder removal has enhanced resource extraction conflicts, malnutrition of women and their off-springs, improper education of females, increased health and life hazards, accidents because of collapse, etc. For better utilization of dry fodder in hilly areas, the farmers and livestock owners should be motivated and educated toward modern feeding options. Novel feeding system of complete feed and silage preparation for lean periods is well suited to hilly states like Uttarakhand that needs to be promoted. The study also aims to help in developing suitable policy to lessen the impact of degradation of forests for fodder by developing fodder bank models in each village cluster of Uttarakhand.     

An econometric analysis of residential consumption of fuelwood in a mountainous prefecture of Northern Greece

Biomass is a renewable energy source of increasing importance, especially since the energy policies of countries today are largely focused on renewable energy. It is a renewable energy source with significant potential to contribute to the energy needs of modern society, both for developing and developed countries around the world. One very important source of biomass is wood and fuelwood in particular. This article aims at providing an empirical analysis of household fuelwood consumption and the determinants of the choice to use the specific energy for heating and cooking in a district of Northern Greece. In the current empirical analysis several household fuelwood consumption models are employed, such as GLM, Tobit and Heckman regression-based techniques. The results show that household sociological and economical characteristics as well as more general environmental issues are suitable to explain differences towards fuelwood consumption for space heating and cooking. We additionally evaluate the household fuelwood consumption for heating through the statistical analyses conducted.     

Forest resource use pattern in Kedarnath wildlife sanctuary and its fringe areas (a case study from Western Himalaya,India)

The rural population of Himalaya has been strongly dependent on the forest resources for their livelihood for generations. The present study, carried out at three different altitudes of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS), explored forest resource-use patterns to understand rural peoples' dependency on the adjacent forests. A total of six forests were selected and the seven dependent villages were surveyed for the study of forest resource use patterns in relation to their socioeconomic status. Average fuelwood and fodder consumption were found to be 2.42 kg/capita/day and 43.96 kg/household/day respectively which was higher than the earlier reported values. Average fuelwood consumption by temporary dhaba (roadside refreshment establishments) owners (52.5 kg/dhaba/day) is much higher than the permanent villagers. Average cultivated land per family was less than 1 ha (0.56 ha). Inaccessibility of the area and deprived socio-economic status of the locals are largely responsible for the total dependency of the local inhabitants on nearby forests for fuelwood, fodder and other life supporting demands. Extensive farming of fuelwood trees on less used, barren land and establishment of fodder banks could be the alternative to bridge the gap between the demand and supply. Active participation of local people is mandatory for the conservation of these forests.     

Household level domestic fuel consumption and forest resource in relation to agroforestry adoption: Evidence against need-based approach

The need-based approach (assuming that higher consumption of tree products would motivate farmers to adopt agroforestry) has led to uneven success, in many cases failure, of many agroforestry projects. Current study investigated the association between fuelwood and forest resource use, and agroforestry adoption based on a survey of 401 households in the Indian Western Himalaya. Data on household domestic fuel utilisation and forest resource use were collected using a questionnaire in personal interviews. Agroforestry adoption increased significantly with increase in distance of nearest State forest from the house, distance travelled to collect fuelwood, and consumption of cattle dung, crop residues, charcoal, kerosene and liquid petroleum gas as domestic fuels by the household. Agroforestry adoption was also significantly higher in households with non-forest than those with State forests as primary source of fuelwood and timber. The proportion of adopters decreased significantly with increase in quantity of fuelwood used for domestic consumption, frequency of collection from State forests, total domestic energy consumption, fuelwood dependency, timber consumption and availability of timber through rights of households on State forests. Logistic regression analysis revealed that none of the factors related to need (quantity of fuelwood and timber used) appeared in the model but primary source of fuelwood, distance travelled to collect fuelwood and availability of timber through rights on the State forests appeared as important factors. This implies that need of the tree products is not a necessary condition to motivate farmers to adopt agroforestry, rather, it is accessibility of tree products which influence agroforestry adoption.     

Fuel wood consumption pattern of tribal communities in cold desert of the Lahaul valley, North-Western Himalaya, India

Fuel wood is the primary source of energy in rural areas of the Himalaya. Lack of resources, extremely low temperature and xeric climatic conditions of the study region (Khoksar – 3200 m, Jahlma – 3000 m, Hinsa – 2700 m and Kuthar – 2600 m) of cold desert of the Lahaul valley has led to serious deforestation due to excessive use of fuel wood in the past. On the basis of family sizes, fuel wood consumption was recorded less in large family as compared to small family. The fuel wood is used for various activities such as cooking, water heating, room heating, lighting and livestock rearing, etc. Fuel wood consumption was highest in high altitude villages as compared to low altitude villages irrespective of family size. Fuel wood consumption of 4.32 ± 0.99 kg/capita/day was highest at Khoksar for small family during winter season followed by the autumn (2.25 ± 0.15 kg/capita/day) and summer (1.38 ± 0.13 kg/capita/day). The labour energy expenditure for fuel wood collection was also highest for Khoksar (91.91 MJ/capita/year), followed by Hinsa (61.29 MJ/capita/year), Kuthar (52.01 MJ/capita/year) and Jahlma (51.89 MJ/capita/year), respectively. It was found that fuel wood consumption in the study region was influenced by the local cold climate and season of the year. The present information on fuel wood consumption pattern at different altitudes would be helpful in designing appropriate technologies to develop energy plantations in the region.     

Reassessing the “energy ladder”: Household energy use in Maun,Botswana

In the context of Sub-Saharan Africa's rapid urbanization, improved insight into urban energy use is increasingly important. Based on the predictions of “energy transition” theory, a regional shift from biomass to “modern” fuels has long been expected to occur in tandem with urban growth. However, trends observed in the region's towns and cities have often not followed such patterns and fuelwood continues to be important in most areas. This paper examines the practical relevance of transition theory using a recent case study, conducted by the authors in Maun, Botswana, and results previously reported in the literature. It finds that, despite the long-term link between socio-economic development and increased modern fuel consumption at the national scale, the notion of “transition” does not accurately reflect ongoing energy-use patterns at lower levels of aggregation. This is chiefly because its model of household fuel switching largely dismisses the importance of active (and strategic) decision making by urban consumers and their responsiveness to structural factors such as relative fuel prices. As the Botswana case illustrates, this weakness can significantly distort expectations and policies around urban fuelwood use.     

Relative inequality in energy resource consumption: a case of Kanvashram village, Pauri Garhwal district, Uttranchall (India)

Energy planning exercises for rural areas make use of a mix of locally available renewable resources with some commercial resources to cater to the energy needs of the population. Such exercises are economically attractive in developing countries, whereby, the foreign exchange reserves for the purchase of commercial energy is curtailed. The first step in the implementation of an energy planning exercise is to understand the energy consumption and utilization habits of the population being served. Frequently, an assessment of the levels of inequality in the consumption of various resources is necessary as, this provides the rural planner with an understanding of the future trends and thus forearms him with strategic alternatives to combat any future energy resource crisis that the trends seem to imply.In the present paper, an attempt is made to assess the level of energy resource consumption inequality in a typical hilly rural Indian village. The Gini Coefficient of Inequality, a measure of inequality in the field of Econometrics has been applied for this assessment. The population is segregated into different categories based on their income levels and certain socio-economic criteria, which are also felt to exercise an influence on consumption levels of energy. The results of the analysis are then discussed in the light of the findings.     

An investigation into the energy use in relation to yield of traditional crops in central Himalaya, India

Agrobiodiversity and agroecosystem management have changed in central Himalaya due to increasing emphasis on market economy and the motive ‘maximization of profit’. Such changes have benefited local people in economic terms, but at the same time increased their vulnerability to environmental and economic risks. The present study addressed the issue of how the ecological functions that are provided by agrobiodiversity translate into tangible benefits for the society. Important characteristics of agrodiversity management are the use of bullocks for draught power, human energy as labour, crop residues as animal feed and animal waste mixed with forest litter as organic input to restore soil fertility levels. The present analysis of resource input-output energy currency in traditional crop production indicated that inputs into different crop systems were significantly higher during kharif season compared to rabi season both under rainfed and irrigated conditions. The maximum input for crop during rabi season (second crop season) was about 31% of that of kharif season (first crop season after fallow) under rainfed conditions. Under irrigated conditions the rabi season input was about 63% of kharif season input. Under rainfed conditions, paddy sole cropping required maximum inputs (231.31 GJ/ha) as compared to mustard sole cropping (11.79 GJ/ha). The present investigation revealed that the total energy inputs and outputs are higher for irrigated agriculture as compared to rainfed system, the difference in inputs is about 5 fold and outputs is about 2 fold. The output-input ratio showed that irrigated systems have higher values as compared to rainfed systems.     

Variation in energy consumption in production of wheat–maize with varying altitudes in hilly regions of Himachal Pradesh, India

Availability and consumption pattern of energy and constraints in its proper supply and management for crop production was studied in wheat–maize cropping system in selected hilly rural villages located at different altitudes of Himachal Pradesh in Western Himalayas. The information was collected from 90 farmers drawn from nine villages, three each from three selected altitudes using two-stage random sampling. The average values of energy consumption for wheat crop in low and high hills were, respectively, 41.68 and 110.8 MJ/ha and those for maize crop were, respectively, 43.43 and 81.33 MJ/ha. The productivity of wheat crop ranged from 1077 to 1840.9 kg/ha and for maize crop from 1108 to 1573 kg/ha, in low and high hills, respectively. The major constraints in the proper use of energy in crop production were the uncertain supply of different inputs due to difficult and undulating terrain, poor land holdings and non-availability of suitable technologies. The introduction of small powered equipment, precise use of seed and fertilizer and proper management of irrigation water were recommended for efficient energy use and better crop productivity.     

Determination and modelling of energy consumption in wheat production using neural networks: “A case study in Canterbury province, New Zealand”

This study was conducted on irrigated and dryland wheat fields in Canterbury in the 2007-2008 harvest year based on an extensive process of data collection involving a questionnaire and interviews. Total energy consumption in wheat production was estimated at 22,566 MJ/ha. On average, fertilizer and electricity were used more than other energy sources, at around 10,654 (47%) and 4870 (22%) MJ/ha, respectively. The energy consumption for wheat production in irrigated and dryland farming systems was estimated at 25,600 and 17,458 MJ/ha, respectively.In this study, several direct and indirect factors have been identified to create an artificial neural networks (ANN) model to predict energy use in wheat production. The final model can predict energy consumption based on farm conditions (size of crop area), farmers’ social considerations (level of education), and energy inputs (N and P use and irrigation frequency), and it predicts energy use in Canterbury arable farms with an error margin of ±12% (±2900 MJ/ha). Furthermore, comparison between the ANN model and a Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) model showed that the ANN model can predict energy consumption relatively better than the MLR multiple model on the selected training set and validation set.     

Characteristics of some firewood trees and shrubs of the North Eastern Himalayan region, India

An evaluation of the characteristics of 25 indigenous trees and shrubs of the North Eastern Himalayan (NEH) region was carried out to identify trees with potential for firewood production. A fuelwood value index (FVI) was defined as the calorific value×density/ash content. The results showed that Gaultheria fragrantissima, Litsea citrata, Myrica esculenta, Aesculus assamica, Daphniphyllum himalense, Mesua ferrea, and Wendlandia tinctoria had the most promising firewood properties.     

Comparative study of energy consumption and CO2 emissions between Beijing and London

From the view of geographic location, climate and population status, this paper makes a comparative study of the economy structure, transport system, energy supply and carbon emissions among a few cities, especially between Beijing and London, two mega-cities in the world. The developed tertiary industry, consummate transport system and low-carbon energy supply system in London can be referenced to assist Beijing in establishing a low-carbon development pathway. The difference in the statistical coverage of population between these two cities also brings about the divergence of energy consumption per capita and CO? emissions per capita between them.     

Economic growth,energy consumption and CO2 emissions in India: a disaggregated causal analysis

This study examines the long-run and short-run causal relationships among energy consumption, real gross domestic product (GDP) and CO₂ emissions using aggregate and disaggregate (sectoral) energy consumption measures utilising annual data from 1971 to 2011. The autoregressive distributed lag bounds test reveals that there is a long-run relationship among the variables concerned at both aggregate and disaggregate levels. The Toda–Yamamoto causality tests, however, reveal that the long-run as well short-run causal relationship among the variables is not uniform across sectors. The weight of evidences of the study indicates that there is short-run causality from electricity consumption to economic growth, and to CO₂ emissions. The results suggest that India should take appropriate cautious steps to sustain high growth rate and at the same time to control emissions of CO₂. Further, energy and environmental policies should acknowledge the sectoral differences in the relationship between energy consumption and real gross domestic product.     

Accumulation, transfers and dissipation of energy in chir pine forests

Energy stored and net energy fixed at four sites of natural chir pine forest were assessed. Of the total energy stored by the vegetation (3836.6 GJ ha⁻¹) 98.7% was in trees, 0.4% in shrubs and 0.9% in the herb layer. Net energy fixed by the vegetation was 318.5 GJ ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ of which the shares of tree, shrub and herb layers were 84.7% 0.9% and 14.4%, respectively. The energy capture efficiency (photosynthetic radiation) of the vegetation was 1.07% (0.91% in trees, 0.01% in shrubs and 0.15% in herbs). Of the total transfer of energy to the forest floor through litter fall (142.7 GJ ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ leaf litter and woody litter accounted for 68.4% and 31.6%, respectively. Energy stored in the above-ground biomass of the trees from 2877 ha or in the net annual above-ground production from 39,903 ha is sufficient to operate a 50 MW generating station for one year. Total biomass and net production from 1 ha of natural chir pine forest is sufficient to meet the energy need of an average household of western Himalaya for 61.1 and 4.4 years, respectively.     

Structural break, unit root, and the causality between energy consumption and GDP in Turkey

This paper tries to investigate a series of unit root and causality tests to detect causality between the GDP and energy consumption in Turkey employing Hsiao's version of Granger causality method for the 1950–2000 period. The conventional unit root tests indicate the series are I(1), whereas the endogenous break unit root tests proposed by Zivot and Andrews [Zivot, E. and Andrews, D.W.K., 1992, Further evidence on the great crash, the oil price shock, and the unit root hypothesis, Journal of Business and Economics Statistics 10, 251–270.] and Perron [Perron, P., 1997, Further evidence on breaking trend functions in macroeconomic variables, Journal of Econometrics 80, 355–385.] reveal that the series are trend stationary with a structural break. Therefore, it is inappropriate to take the first difference of the data to achieve stationarity. The main conclusion of this study is that there is no evidence of causality between energy consumption and GDP in Turkey based on the detrended data.     

A comparative study on the separating methods of Al,Ca and Mg based on theoretical energy consumption

Based on thermodynamics and physical chemistry theory,the theoretical energy consumption (TEC) of the typical separating processes of Al,Ca and Mg has been calculated and analyzed.This paper attempts to prove that the thermal method is more reasonable than the electrolytic methods to separate Al,Ca and Mg under the domestic circumstances of the low efficiency of coal-firing power plant at present.