Free Essay

Illegal Production of Charcoal

In:

Submitted By lujinkensu
Words 473
Pages 2
Charcoal Trade Stripping Somalia of Trees
Deforestation Contributing Factor to Famine, Say Experts
By SAID ISMAIL
©Somalia Report
Branches burn in early stages of charcoal making
Since the fall of Somalia’s central government in 1991 and the resulting decades of chaos, illegal deforestation for charcoal – a major source of income for Islamist militant group al-Shabaab - has become an everyday practice.
The decimation of trees in southern Somalia has caused tremendous environmental damage, and many believe the practice has contributed heavily to the current famine that the UN says has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), a lack of energy alternatives in the country is the primary driving cause of the deforestation that has engulfed the region.
Charcoal is made by chopping down trees, setting fire to a closely stacked pile of branches and trunks, and covering it with sand so that the amount of oxygen and air is limited. This super charges a process that would otherwise take years to achieve naturally.
The charcoal business has become a source of livelihood for many families displaced in the civil unrest and the recent drought that has affected millions of families in south and central Somalia. The charcoal is produced in remote areas and then brought to cities for use and export.
The devastating toll that the charcoal trade is having on ordinary people is now alerting other administrations in the country. Pro-government militia Ahlu Sunnah wal Jamaa, which controls areas of central Somaila, ordered residents in areas under its control not to cut down trees for charcoal, and warned anyone ignoring the order will face prison or fines.
According to ecologists, trees play a vital role in regulating the climate as they absorb carbon dioxide. Trees are also crucial for other human needs such as timber, fiber and medicines, water and biodiversity conservation as well as soil fertility for agricultural purposes.
At the moment, however, the vast majority of international efforts are focused on emergency relief - a pattern that has been repeated down the years with few, if any, programs aimed at tackling the root causes.
According to the UN, Somalia is one of 13 African countries that will face water scarcity in the year 2025, largely because of human activities such as deforestation, overgrazing and other inappropriate land use.
So finding a solution for the deforestation and decimation is as important as finding peace and political solution in Somalia – a subject that has received less attention, according to Abdi Ali Sheikh.
With al-Shabaab desperate for finances to continue its battles, and still in control of much of Somalia despite the Mogadishu withdrawal, there is little chance of an illegal trade that has taken a heavy toll on Somalia's environment ending any time soon.
http://www.somaliareport.com/index.php/post/1426/Charcoal_Trade_Stripping_Somalia_of_Trees

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Charcoal Paper

...“Analysis of charcoal value chains general considerations” Steve Sepp – Eco Consulting Group - Germany On behalf of 1 Table of Content Introduction............................................................................................................................................. 2 Importance of promoting the charcoal value chain ................................................................................ 3 Common issues characterizing the charcoal value chain ........................................................................ 3 Analyzing the charcoal value chain ......................................................................................................... 4 Building a roadmap for charcoal value chain upgrading ......................................................................... 7 Conclusions............................................................................................................................................ 10 References ............................................................................................................................................. 11 Introduction Charcoal is a prime source of energy in most African country, as well as a driving force of their economies with estimated annual growth rates of around 3.7 percent [1]. Surprisingly enough, policy makers pay little attention to the ways in which charcoal is produced and sold – e.g. the question as to whether wood used for charcoal burning is harvested...

Words: 4031 - Pages: 17

Premium Essay

Mango Peel Charcoal

...The Effectiveness of Mango (Mangifera indica) Peels As Alternative Source of Charcoal A Research Paper Presented to the Faculty of Antipolo National High School in partial fulfillment of the course requirement in Research II COLEEN INGRID S. MIRAVALLES DONITA S. ESTRELLA KREANNE IRISH J. MILLANO ANGELA LEONOR M. MUTUC Researchers CLUSTER 1: APPLIED SCIENCE TEAM CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Economic crisis runs throughout different places in the world. The Global Economic Crisis pulled countries down from around the globe to a recession. Wide-ranging declines in many aspects of growth characterize the overall impact it had on the global scale. This is the main reason why people tend to lessen the spend of money. To reduce spending, households had to buy cheaper goods, for example, instead of buying branded clothes; people tend to buy more affordable clothes. People also tend to lessen the electricity and water consumption. Another way is using charcoals instead of Liquefied Petroleum Gas or LPG in preparing or cooking their food. Almost all of us are aware of Global warming. It is the unusual increase in the Earth's surface temperature since describe the beginning of the 20th century. Scientists believe that this is caused by some human activities like illegal logging, deforestation, burning of garbage, fumes of factories, and smoke from vehicles, improper deposal of garbage and regular using of insecticides. The greenhouse effect is a vital natural process that...

Words: 3388 - Pages: 14

Free Essay

Grauer's Gorilla by Will Purdy

...Grauer Gorilla’s An Analysis of Humanity’s Effect on Grauer’s Gorillas in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. By Will Purdy 1011L Nov. 11, 2014 Introduction: Grauer’s Gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri), or the eastern lowland gorilla is an extant subspecies of the eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei matschie) endemic to the eastern forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Grauer’s gorilla is biologically significant, in that it is the largest living primate. According to the IUCN (2014), Grauer’s gorilla, like many of it’s great-ape relatives, is an endangered species. When searching for the reason this animal has become endangered we have no further to look than the closest mirror; adult Eastern Lowland gorillas have no natural predators other than humans. This paper presents an analysis of humanity’s contributions from 1991 to present day towards the current endangered status of Grauer’s gorillas. The paper is organized into three main drivers of endangerment: Conflict and instability; Deforestation and environmental degradation; and poaching. The majority of the research in this paper was collected in the Kahuzi-Biega national park located along the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Body: Up through the mid 1990’s the population of Grauer’s gorillas was estimated to be around 17,000 individuals. A decade later in 2005, populations were estimated to be around 8,000 individuals or less (IUCN 2014). A reasonable question to ask would...

Words: 1573 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Life Coaching Marketing Plan

...TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 2 Q.1 MAJOR SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS RESULTING FROM ROADS EXPANSION INTO SUBURBAN AREAS 3 Q.3 THE LINK BETWEEN THE GLOBAL COMMONS AND EFFECTS OF DEPLETION 6 Q.5 UNSUSTAINABLE EXPLOITATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES IN KENYA AND RESULTANT ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES AND BEST PRACTICES FOR RESTORATION OF THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGITY 9 Commercial use 9 Land for Grazing 9 Demand for Fuel 9 Illegal Logging 10 Erosion of Soil 10 Loss of Biodiversity 11 Climate Change 11 Population Growth 12 CONCLUSION 13 REFERENCES 14 INTRODUCTION This essay paper is divided into three parts: The first part will discuss the implications of the rapid expansion of roads into suburban areas in Kenya with special focus on the major social and environmental impacts of concern. There is an appreciation that Kenya is experiencing unprecedented road and highway expansion in line with its Vision 2030 Strategic Plan. Mitigations that need to be put in place to reduce the severity of these impacts have also been discussed. The second part discusses the Global commons, their interactions and the effects experienced as a result of depletion of one or more of them. In this essay, “Global commons" refers to something shared in common by a community. Commons presupposes a community - its members can claim equal rights to the common ground. A global commons presupposes a global community. This essay will delve on...

Words: 3689 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Technology in Modern Life

...The biggest technological change recently is the use of mobile phones. These days everybody seems to have them. Cell phones have improved safety. Children can now reach their parents and vice-versa. Schools can reach parents, too, and parents don’t need to worry about being out of contact during the day, as they can always be reached in an emergency. Everyone can connect everybody else in the matter of a few presses of buttons, a signal and a minute to connect. Victims of serious accidents such as car wrecks and earthquakes have been able to use their cell phones to contact help. With cell phones, help is always just a phone call away. Cell phones also have some negative impacts. It can be hard for people to get disconnected, for example, from work. Some employers assume that their employees will be permanently available for consultation or discussion, even when the employee is on vacation. When cell phones were first introduced, there was a lot of discussion about cell phone etiquette, but these days, most people seem to ignore that advice. People talk loudly on their phone in public spaces, and they take phone calls while in the middle of conversations with others. People answer their phones in movie theaters and conference presentations. Cell phones are a wonderful technology that adds to safety and the feeling of connectedness. They have become essential for business and personal use. Also, technology has helped improve productivity at work by allowing manufacturers to...

Words: 901 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Forestry Education In Nigeria

...achieve multifarious stakeholders’ interests and biological systems that are threatened and/or influenced by among others, which leads to the reason of bringing forestry into education. More so, forestry education is important in addressing both human resource limitations in forestry and to increase awareness among the general public of forests and forestry. The long time scales over which national-level changes in forests and forestry occur strongly suggest that education in relation to values of forests and the opportunities and challenges faced should be a key focus in the country. Forestry education has help to cover critical issues, such as sustainable forest management, reforestation, biodiversity conservation, community forestry, illegal logging, efficient timber processing, forest statistics and timber market strategies. Recently, ITTO’s work has been expanded to cover global warming and climate change, including promotion of CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) in afforestation/reforestation and bio energy (Aoki, C. 2008). However, Education is necessary both to address human resource limitations in forestry and to increase awareness among the general public of forests and forestry. The long time scales over which national-level changes in forests and forestry occur strongly suggest that education in relation to values of forests and the opportunities and challenges faced should be a key focus in any country. The current scarcity of skilled human resources in many countries...

Words: 2137 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Hemp

...The Beneficial Uses of Hemp Following my father's death, I felt there was some unfinished business that we had not discussed. I searched to find some of my father's thoughts and feeling that I could justify our relationship through. Ironically, I came across a manila envelope, which had contained some of his prized possessions. As I searched through it, I developed a new opinion of the bio mass plant called "Hemp." There were articles showing a hemp bills being passed and farmers wanting to cultivate it within Delta County. There was also a book called "The Emperor Wears No Clothes." It was a book stating compelling facts about the miracle crop Hemp." An article struck me. It told of, Woody Harrison, a well-known actor stating, "He would pick up the tab for Colorado's first hemp crop if state legislators approve the crop." He also stated that you could smoke a pound of it and not get high. (Rice)" In addition 4.6 million members of the American Farm Bureau Federation support Hemp 100 percent. Hemp could be the most abundant natural resource, it can replace 80% of our fossil fuels, and be used for many major medicinal purposes (Kriho). It is essential that we stop the use of all fossil fuels, and deforestation to save Mother Earth. This can be accomplished with the cannabis plant hemp seizing pollution and provide the world with more than enough of its energy needs. According to Jack Herer, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, we're not only the founders of our...

Words: 8791 - Pages: 36

Free Essay

Environmental Challenges in Northern Nigeria: the Way Forward

...ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES IN NORTHERN NIGERIA: THE WAY FORWARD A position paper submitted to Northern Delegates at the National Conference Abuja By Yusuf Abdullahi Rigasa (PhD) yusuf.rigasa@gmail.com An Associate Chief Lecturer at the Department of Environmental Science Kaduna Polytechnic, currently on secondment to National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, Federal Ministry of Environment Abuja. 2014 Introduction Northern Nigeria was a British protectorate which lasted from 1900 until 1914 and covered the northern part of what is now Nigeria. The protectorate spanned 255,000 miles (410,000 km) and included the states of the Sokoto Caliphate and the Kano emirate and parts of the former Bornu Empire, conquered in 1902. The protectorate was ended in 1914, when it was unified with Southern Nigerian Protectorate and Lagos Colony, to become Northern Province of the colony and protectorate of Nigeria or the Northern region. The Northern Region was one of Nigeria's federating units. It was created before independence in 1960, with its capital at Kaduna. In 1962, it acquired the territory of the British Northern Cameroons, who voted to become part of Nigeria. In 1967 the region was split into states - Benue-Plateau State, Kano State, Kwara State, North-Central State, North-Eastern State and North-Western State. Currently, the region comprises of 19 states and Federal Capital Territory Abuja. The climatic conditions in the northern part of Nigeria exhibit...

Words: 4420 - Pages: 18

Free Essay

Social Issues

...REPUBLIC OF KENYA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND MINERAL RESOURCES MERU NORTH DISTRICT ENVIRONMENT ACTION PLAN 2009-2013 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Economic growth and environment are closely intertwined in Kenya’s development. Environmental Action Planning is a tool that aims at enhancing the integration of environment into development planning. Meru North District faces many environmental challenges with some being unique to the District. Some of the challenges include; Poverty has lead to the over-use and destruction of environment. Continued reliance on trees for fuel and wetlands for farming and its resources has lead to deforestation and wetland encroachment. Annual flooding continues to destroy property and frustrate farming. The DEAP highlights priority themes and activities for the District towards achieving sustainable development. The report is divided into eight chapters. Chapter one gives the challenges of sustainable development and also describes the rationale for and preparatory process of the DEAP. The chapter introduces the district’s main profile covering the physical features, demographic, agroecological zones, and main environmental issues. Chapter two describes the District’s Environment and Natural resources of Land, Water, Biodiversity (forest, wildlife, and Dry lands biodiversity), wetlands and agriculture, livestock and fisheries. For each resource, major environmental issues, challenges and proposed interventions are identified. Chapter three discusses the Human...

Words: 21147 - Pages: 85

Free Essay

Environmental Policies

...TABLE OF CONTENT Introduction………………………………………………………………………………….3 Land Act……………………………………………………………………………………..3 Water Act…………………………………………………………………………………….4 Forest Act…………………………………………………………………………………….5 International Convention of Environment……………………………………………………6 References…………………………………………………………………………………….9 INTRODUCTION Environmental Laws are the standards that governments establish to manage natural resources and environmental quality. The broad categories of ‘natural resources” and “environment quality” include such areas as air and water pollution, forest and wildlife, hazardous waste, agricultural practices, wetlands, and land use planning. The promulgation of the Kenya Constitution, 2010 marked an important chapter in Kenya environmental policy development. Hailed as a green Constitution, it embodies elaborate provisions with considerable implications for sustainable development. These range from environmental principles and implications of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) to the right to clean and healthy environment enshrined in the Bill of Rights. This paper will highlight on the Water Act, Land Act, Forest Act and International Convention of environment (Mohammed,2012). LAND ACT Land resources are finite, fragile and non-renewable. Land is considered a capital and asset...

Words: 1632 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Shisha Culture

...A RESEARCH REPORT ON “SHISHA CULTURE: WHY IS INCREASING IN YOUTH OF PAKISTAN?” Prepared for Karachi University Business School Prepared By Um-e-Amama Areeb Gul khan ENROLEMENT NO: BAC/UCGI/3418/2007 BS VIII University of Karachi A RESEARCH REPORT ON “SHISHA CULTURE: WHY IS INCREASING IN YOUTH OF PAKISTAN?” Prepared By Um-e-Amama Areeb Gul khan ENR NO: BAC/UCGI/3418/2007 BS VIII University of Karachi PREFACE It is mandatory for every student of bachelors of business administration from University College affiliated to KARACHI UNIVERSITY, to make a Research Report. My experience during the research period has been very exciting and knowledgeable. Now I have a broader idea about the subject and my vision has expanded which will be helpful for me in my professional and personal life. In this report I describe the history and hazards of smoking shisha culture and why it increase in youth of Pakistan. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all, I would like to say Alhamdulillah, for giving me the strength and health to do this report work until it done not forgotten to my family for providing everything, such as money, to buy anything that are related to this research report and their advise, which is the most needed for this research report. Internets, books, computers and all that as my sources to complete research report. They also supported me and encouraged me to complete...

Words: 10097 - Pages: 41

Free Essay

External Analysis of the Philippines

...EXTERNAL ANALYSIS of the PHILIPPINES Filipinos are food lover. Filipinos do not consider it a meal if rice is not served. Plain steamed rice is the basis of the diet. Three crops a year are harvested to provide enough rice for the population, and the government keeps surpluses stored for times of drought. Salt water and freshwater of fish and shellfish are eaten daily, served either fresh or salted. Fish, chicken and pork are usually fried, although people are becoming more health-conscious and often choose alternative methods of cooking. Garlic is added to food because it is considered healthful. Filipino food is not spicy. All food is cooked on gas burners or wood or charcoal fires and is allowed to get cold before it is eaten. Rice is cooked first, since it takes longer. When it is ready, rice will be placed on the table while the next items of the meal are prepared and served. Table knives are not used. Forks and spoons are used for dining. The food is eaten from a spoon. The traditional method of placing food on a banana leaf and eating with one's hands is also used throughout the country. It is acceptable to eat food with one's hands at restaurants as well as in the home. Breakfast is served at 6 A.M. and consists of food left over from the night before. It is not reheated. Eggs and sausage are served on special occasions. Small buns called pan de sol may be purchased from vendors early in the morning. At midmorning and in the afternoon, people eat merienda. Since Filipinos...

Words: 2467 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Shisha Culture

...A RESEARCH REPORT ON “SHISHA CULTURE: WHY IS INCREASING IN YOUTH OF PAKISTAN?” Prepared for Karachi University Business School Prepared By Um-e-Amama Areeb Gul khan ENROLEMENT NO: BAC/UCGI/3418/2007 BS VIII University College Affiliated with University of Karachi A RESEARCH REPORT ON “SHISHA CULTURE: WHY IS INCREASING IN YOUTH OF PAKISTAN?” Prepared By Um-e-Amama Areeb Gul khan ENR NO: BAC/UCGI/3418/2007 BS VIII University College Affiliated with University of Karachi PREFACE It is mandatory for every student of bachelors of business administration from University College affiliated to KARACHI UNIVERSITY, to make a Research Report. My experience during the research period has been very exciting and knowledgeable. Now I have a broader idea about the subject and my vision has expanded which will be helpful for me in my professional and personal life. In this report I describe the history and hazards of smoking shisha culture and why it increase in youth of Pakistan. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all, I would like to say Alhamdulillah, for giving me the strength and health to do this report work until it done not forgotten to my family for providing everything, such as money, to buy anything that are related to this research report and their advise, which is the most needed for this research report. Internets, books, computers and all that as my sources to complete...

Words: 10106 - Pages: 41

Free Essay

Philippine Forests and Forestry

...Philippine forests and forestry By FLORENCIO TAMESIS THE forest is perhaps the most valuable replaceable natural resource of the Philippines. As a source of raw materials and revenue to the Government, it can be managed to yield for a long time more than it does at present. The latest estimate on the extent of the vegetative soil cover of the Philippines is as follows: | Area in Hectares | Percent | Commercial forest | 13,198,406 | 44.5 | Noncommercial forest | 4,296,786 | 14.4 | Marsh: | | | Fresh | 168,657 | | Salt | 438,155 | | | 606,812 | 2.0 | Open grassland | 5,203,620 | 17.5 | Cultivated | 6,434,348 | 21.6 | Total | 29,740,972 | 100.0 | Approximately 97.5 percent of the forest is owned by the Government and is administered by the Bureau of Forestry; 2.5 percent is privately owned. The greater bulk of the forest is in large blocks on the principal islands such as Luzon, Mindanao, Samar, Negros, and Palawan. Most of the forest is of the tropical rain type, complex in its composition. More than 3,000 species of trees attain a diameter of 30 centimeters (one foot) or more; however, less than sixty of these are marketed. Seventy-five percent of the stand consists of dipterocarps, commonly called lauan, to which "Philippine mahogany" belongs. It is conservatively estimated that the aggregate commercial standing timber is around 2,105,000,000 m3 ® (464,729,000,000 bd. ft.). Based on forest charges (government stumpage tax), this stand has a value of P2,341...

Words: 7731 - Pages: 31

Free Essay

Philippine Biodiversity

...any activity where all trees in an area are removed.[not in citation given][neutrality is disputed] However in temperate climates, the removal of all trees in an area[not in citation given]—in conformance with sustainable forestry practices—is correctly described as regeneration harvest.[2] In temperate mesic climates, natural regeneration of forest stands often will not occur in the absence of disturbance, whether natural or anthropogenic.[3] Furthermore, biodiversity after regeneration harvest often mimics that found after natural disturbance, including biodiversity loss after naturally occurring rainforest destruction.[4][5] Deforestation occurs for many reasons: trees are cut down to be used or sold as fuel (sometimes in the form of charcoal) or timber, while cleared land is used as pasture for livestock, plantations of commodities and settlements. The removal of trees without sufficient reforestation has resulted in damage to habitat, biodiversity loss and aridity. It has adverse impacts on biosequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Deforestation has also been used in war to deprive the enemy of cover for its forces and also vital resources. Modern examples of this were the use of Agent Orange by the British military in Malaya during the Malayan Emergency and the United States military in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Among countries with a per capita GDP of at least US$4,600, net deforestation rates have ceased to increase.[when?][6][7] Deforested regions typically...

Words: 3188 - Pages: 13