POPULATION, BIOMASS AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN CENTRAL SUDAN

The dynamics of population-biomass-environment interactions in the semi-arid central region of Sudan operate at the local-scale household level. Living arrangements within the household, household size, size of consuming units, location and mode of living (urban-rural-nomadic) are some of the most important link variables. Biomass fuels use in the central region varies considerably by location of households. Rural households use fuelwood, crop residues and animal dung; nomadic households are primarily fuelwood users; urban households are mainly charcoal users. Nomadic households are special because this mode of living is gradually shrinking. With the spread of irrigated and mechanized agriculture, nomads became concentrated in ecologically limited areas with drastic consequences to their lives, to their animal wealth, and to the environment. The paper shows that actual consumption of fuelwood and charcoal exceeds the official supply by about 22 000 and 32 000 tonnes, respectively. This excess indicates deforestation which is substantially enhanced by unofficial cutting of trees. By contrast, the balance for crop residues and animal dung is substantially positive, reflecting the availability of these biomass resources for fuel use. Policies should encourage the use of these residues for cooking. Also, the need for better management of biomass resources, energy saving, environmental education, and general awareness is obvious.