Policies and approaches towards afforestation and the provision of fuelwood in developing countries: lessons for South Africa. Biomass Initiative - Appendix 1

Fuelwood provision has often been ignored in developing countries and no more so than in South Africa. Fuel wood, in comparison with other forms of energy, plays a minor economic development role in a country like South Africa which produces 60% of Africa's electricity. National issues such as oil and electricity have great economic implications particularly towards industrialisation, and as a result, policies for these have been formulated. In spite of this high level of development, many people, notably the poor, use wood as their main source of fuel. Many organisations have recognised the need to address this problem but no general policy has been formulated. The problem has been compounded by the differing viewpoints of the large number of government bodies within the homeland system; this is itself inhibits any collective effort