Wood Energy Supply System, Trade and Gender in Sri Lanka

- National Expert Consultation

RWEDP Report No.58, 1999

Table of Contents

Traditional biomass fuel, primarily woodfuel, continues to play an important role in the energy balance of Sri Lanka. the share of traditional biomass fuel in total primary energy consumption for the year 2001 is estimated at about 50-51 percent by the Energy Conservation Fund of Sri Lanka. The contributions of woodfuel and other biomass (crop residues, etc.) are estimated to be about 49 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively. Available statistics also suggest that between 1981-1995 the average annual growth in traditional biomass fuel consumption was about 1.9 percent. The household sector is by far the largest consumer of traditional biomass fuel and accounts for about 81 percent of total consumption. The second largest consumer is the industrial sector (tea, coconut, rubber, brick, lime and pottery industries), followed by the commercial sector (hotels and restaurants, bakeries and local food vendors).

Non-forest lands, mostly private farms, homesteads, homegardens, tea estates, rubber and coconut plantations, etc. supply as much as 70-75 per cent of the annually consumed woodfuel in Sri Lanka, hence constitute a very important fuelwood supply source. Though important, the forest and forestplantations in the public sector only meet about 11-12 per cent of the annual woodfuel demand in the country. The role of woodfuels in the national economy and environment of Sri Lanka is increasingly recognized as being important, not only for its contribution to the energy balance but also, and perhaps even more significantly, for its contribution to the rural socio-economy through income-employment generation in woodfuel trade related activities. The estimated economic value of the woodfuel consumed in the country, using the 1990 average price of woodfuels, amounts to over 440 million US$.

Over the past seven years, RWEDP has collaborated with a number of national agencies such as the Forest Department, the Energy Conservation Fund, Peradeniya University, etc. to implement different sustainable wood energy development activities in Sri Lanka. This report documents one of those activities designed to raise awareness and promote the integration of wood energy development issues into the policies, programs and training and education curricula in related sectors like forestry, agriculture, education, rural development etc.

Table of contents
	Foreword
	Preface
Part I.	Proceedings
1.	Overview of the National Expert Consultation
2.	Summaries of the Technical Sessions
3.	Field Trip
Part II.	Technical Presentations
1.	Wood Energy in Member Countries
2.	The Implications of Forestry, Energy and Agriculture Sector Policies for Sustainable wood Energy Development
3.	Role of Wood and Biomass Fuel in the Total Energy Consumption
4.	Wood Energy and Other Biomass Supply Ssources and Their Contribution in Different Agro-Ecological Regions
5.	Woodfuel Flows in Sri Lanka
6.	Wood Energy Utilization, Conservation and Conversion
7.	Socio-economic Contribution of Wood and Other Biomass Fuel
8.	Environmental Contribution of Renewable Wood Energy
9.	Gender Aspects of Woodfuel Flows in Sri Lanka: A Case Study in Kandy District
10.	End Use Energy Survey in Household Sector of Sri Lanka
11.	National Programmes in Forestry/Agroforestry and the Energy Sector Having a Direct Bearing on Wood Energy Development
12.	Woodfuel Issues and Constraints on the Movement and Trade of Woodfuel
13.	Wood Energy Utilization and Conservation in the Tea Plantation Sector
Part III.	Appendices
Appendix 1.	Programme - Inaugural Session
Appendix 2.	List of Participants
Appendix 3.	Speeches Made at the Inaugural Session
Appendix 4:	Wood Energy in the Curricula of the Sri Lanka Forestry Institute
Appendix 5:	Status of Wood Energy in the Curricula of the University of Sri Jayewardenapura
Appendix 6:	Wood Energy in the Curricula of the University of Ruhuna
Appendix 7:	Wood Energy in the Curricula of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka
Appendix 8:	Wood Energy in the Curricula of the University of Peradeniya
Appendix 9:	Observations During the Field Trip to Madulkalle Estate

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