Papyrus, Forest Resources and Rural Livelihoods: A Village Computable General Equilibrium Analysis from Northern Zambia

Biomass is the primary source of energy for over 80% of households in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It is predominantly used in the form of charcoal or fuelwood, mainly for cooking and heating. However, the bulk of fuelwood supply is informally obtained from natural forests impeding current efforts to promote more sustainable wood production. In many areas, harvesting of forest resources is not sustainable and has led to the fragmentation and degradation of forest ecosystems. It is therefore essential to identify alternative bioenergy sources to reduce current unsustainable practices.

Historically, papyrus was used for producing paper in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. At present, papyrus wetlands directly support millions of rural livelihoods especially in SSA by providing agricultural opportunities and livestock feed as well as drinking water. Papyrus biomass is widely used for fences, roofs, crafts, rafts, household utensils, furniture and mats, but also as a fuel source. It can therefore have a positive impact on household income and provide grounds for various livelihoods in rural regions. The high rates of productivity in papyrus wetlands highlight the potential of this plant as a bioenergy source. However, there are few studies on the economic viability of papyrus wetlands and the benefits for local communities.

In this study, the authors construct a village Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to examine whether papyrus harvesting and processing has the potential to improve local livelihoods and simultaneously counteract pressure on local forest resources. They applied the CGE model to a village in northern Zambia where overexploitation of forest resources to produce energy from firewood and charcoal posed a serious problem. The analysis was based on survey data from 105 households collected in 2015.

The model results showed that papyrus briquetting would be a possible alternative biofuel and that this technology improved household income and utility through labor reallocations. Higher opportunity costs led to households switching from firewood extraction and charcoal production activities to papyrus harvesting and processing to produce bioenergy. Replacing energy supplies from firewood and charcoal with papyrus briquettes resulted in substitution effects between forest land and wetland and thereby reduced the pressure on local forest resources. Besides, the CGE approach allowed for an economy-wide ex-ante analysis at village level and could support management decisions to ensure the success of papyrus bioenergy interventions.

Article by Steven Gronau, et al, from Leibniz University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany.

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