Category Archives: Charcoal market

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Tragedy in the DRC’s Virunga National Park


It is with extreme sadness that we received today’s announcement that three park rangers and five Congolese soldiers were killed during an attack on their patrol vehicle in Congo’s Virunga National Park. (Read the blog post by Emmanuel de Merode, Chief Park Warden and member of the Board of Adviser of The Charcoal Project.) Illegal charcoal production in the park is the single greatest threat to the survival of the mountain gorilla. Virunga National Park, which has implemented a successful briquette program in communities surrounding the park, has been a partner and supporter of The Charcoal Project since day one. … Continue reading

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TANZANIA: Economic recovery hurting energy poor; shift to charcoal from kerosene


The prices of kerosene, cooking gas, and electricity have gone up by 6, 20, and 18.5 per cent respectively. Experts say this leaves most households in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and other urban centres with little choice but to shift to charcoal.

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NEWS: Somalia cracks down on charcoal exports to Arabian peninsula


Headline:  Somali navy seizes vessel loaded with charcoal off Somali coast Source: (AHN) Reporter: Abdi Hajji Hussein Location: Mogadishu, Somalia Published: January 3, 2011 11:17 am EST The newly coalesced Somali navy has seized a vessel they said was illegal exporting charcoal from the nation, an official said Monday. In an interview with government-run Radio Mogadishu, Admiral Farah Ahmed, who commands the navy, said Somali naval forces captured the ship after operations off Somali coasts. The seizure comes two weeks after Somali government banned the export of charcoal export. In December, Prime Minister Mohamed Abdulahi Mohamed called on businessmen involved … Continue reading

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KENYA: Demand for food and fuel endangers forests


A report by the Kenya Forest Services (KFS) and environmental lobby groups says that most parts of the country are likely to suffer desertification if measures to control indiscriminate cutting of trees are not taken.

“Water volume in at least eight rivers in the North Rift have drastically declined while springs that feed River Kerio and Sosiani River are on the verge of drying up,” said Mr John Chumo of Friends of Nandi Environmentalists, a local lobby group.

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Rwandan widows and orphans launch breakthrough waste-to-energy program


Briquette programs that deliver high quality sustainable, alternative solid biofuels exist in major cities in sub-Saharan Africa, but not nearly at the scale necessary to significantly alleviate pressure on the environment from wood and charcoal production. There is clearly lots of room for growth of these types of programs that can create jobs, empower women, and delivering environmental benefits to the larger community. Triple bottom line, anyone?



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