Rapid woodfuel assessment 2017 baseline for the area around the city of Goré, Chad

The two waves of refugees from the Central African Republic has provoked one of the most severe humanitarian crises in Central Africa and in the South of Chad. The different camps around the city of Goré host a population of more than 90 000 individuals of which 35% are refugees, 21% are repatriates and 44% are autochthones. This population is dependent on woodfuel for cooking, heating and lighting. This has increased pressure on the environment due to tree felling, wood collection and the conversion of forestland to agricultural land. FAO and UNHCR initiated a joint rapid woodfuel assessment in May 2017 to determine the supply and demand of woodfuel resources in the area. The assessment had four components: 1) an assessment of the woodfuel demand for cooking, heating and economic activities 2) an identification of current technologies and practices in use for cooking and potential bioenergy feedstocks in the area of interest 3) an assessment of the potential woodfuel supply in the area of interest 4) and the establishment of recommendations for planning interventions to improve clean energy access, promote sustainable forest management, support afforestation and reforestation measures and contribute to building resilience of affected populations in the area around the city of Goré.