224 Oliver W. Johnson et al.
But the growing gap between supply and demand of the commodity will only
expand unless action is taken. Imports from neighbouring countries meet some
of this gap, but not all. Ecological impacts and land degradation from the
remaining unsustainable charcoal production in Kenya add to its GHG emissions and threaten future livelihoods due to declining yields, decreased biodiversity, and other impacts (Kiruki et al., 2017; Ndegwa et al., 2016a).
Putting the Kenyan charcoal sector on a more sustainable pathway calls for
innovative approaches across the charcoal market chain that can improve efficiency in harvesting, production, transport, distribution, and consumption. Yet
doing so is not easy: the sector remains informal with little recognition in
national economic reporting despite employing hundreds of thousands of people
and generating hundreds of millions of US dollars (Njenga et al., 2013).
Although it is an important source of livelihood for some, the economic returns
tend to be concentrated among larger producers and wholesale traders, while
small- scale producers may effectively be trapped in poverty (Ndegwa et al.,
2016b; Zulu and Richardson, 2013).
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10,000
2017
2030
2037
MW
Wind 26
Cogen. 2
Gasoil 54
Cogeneration
Gasoil
Imports
Natural gas
Geothermal
Hydro
Coal
Diesel
Solar
Generic back-up capacity
Wind
Figure 13.2 Projected electricity generation in Kenya, 2017–2037.
Source: www.iea.org.
But the growing gap between supply and demand of the commodity will only
expand unless action is taken. Imports from neighbouring countries meet some
of this gap, but not all. Ecological impacts and land degradation from the
remaining unsustainable charcoal production in Kenya add to its GHG emissions and threaten future livelihoods due to declining yields, decreased biodiversity, and other impacts (Kiruki et al., 2017; Ndegwa et al., 2016a).
Putting the Kenyan charcoal sector on a more sustainable pathway calls for
innovative approaches across the charcoal market chain that can improve efficiency in harvesting, production, transport, distribution, and consumption. Yet
doing so is not easy: the sector remains informal with little recognition in
national economic reporting despite employing hundreds of thousands of people
and generating hundreds of millions of US dollars (Njenga et al., 2013).
Although it is an important source of livelihood for some, the economic returns
tend to be concentrated among larger producers and wholesale traders, while
small- scale producers may effectively be trapped in poverty (Ndegwa et al.,
2016b; Zulu and Richardson, 2013).
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10,000
2017
2030
2037
MW
Wind 26
Cogen. 2
Gasoil 54
Cogeneration
Gasoil
Imports
Natural gas
Geothermal
Hydro
Coal
Diesel
Solar
Generic back-up capacity
Wind
Figure 13.2 Projected electricity generation in Kenya, 2017–2037.
Source: www.iea.org.