Fuelwood in Urban Markets: A Case Study of Hyderabad

Throughout the developing world the transition from fuelwood to commercial fuels is one of the least understood parts of the energy puzzle. This may be because until fairly recently this transition did not pose major policy problems. Before 1973, cheap petroleum products could substitute for fuelwood, thus relieving pressure on forest resources. Since then, however, sharply rising oil import bills have called into question the feasibility of this substitution process and revived concern about deforestation. Consequently, the interaction of demand among traditional and commercial fuels has assumed major policy importance.
The urban household sector is a key area in this interaction process. This book, based on a case study of fuelwood market supplying Hyderabad, India, examines some of the important questions relating to urban fuelwood use in one particular setting. For example: How much firewood and charcoal is used? Which areas does it come from? Who supplies the fuelwood-government agencies or private farmers? What distances does it travel and in which form of transport? What is the structure of the firewood trade? Who uses it, and perhaps most important, what are the likely trends of consumption in the future.
The Hyderabad study came up with some unexpected answers to these questions. Contrary to accepted belief, licensed cutting from government forests provided only a small part (6 per cent) of total supplies. Again contrary to widely held views of firewood as apart of the informal sector, the trade appears to be a highly organized and commercialized activity. And perhaps most surprising, consumption of firewood in Hyderabad at least may not rise very sharply by the end of the century. This finding rests on two offsetting trends. On the one hand increases in the urban population will tend to increase the amount of firewood consumed. On the other, substitution of preferred fuels for firewood will tend to reduce consumption. It is not clear where the balance will be struck between these two opposing tendencies but in the judgement of the authors the balance is for a small but steady expansion in consumption.
In one important respect, however, the study confirms present beliefs?that firewood is a fuel consumed largely by poor households for cooking and that any disruption in supplies, or higher prices, will lead to major social among disadvantaged households.
Although this book is based on the study of one particular city, urban fuelwood problems are so widespread throughout the developing world and have so many common characteristics that the methodology and findings of this study are sure to be of interest to the increasing number of researchers and policy makers throughout the world who becoming aware of the urban aspects of the firewood problem.