The Tanzanian government has ruled that January 31, 2025, will be the deadline for charcoal and firewood use.
The action is a component of attempts to reduce the use of energy sources that are harmful to human and environmental health.
Data compiled by the Dar es Salaam-based Ministry of Energy last year revealed that, although being primarily seen as less expensive options, charcoal, firewood, and crop wastes had extremely negative effects on people's health and were responsible for up to 33,000 fatalities yearly.
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The proportion of households in Tanzania using clean cooking energy ranges from 4.5 to 8%.
Dr. Seleman Jafo, the minister of state in the Vice President's Office (Union and Environment), revealed that the annual cutting of trees for firewood and charcoal leads to the destruction of over 46,960 hectares of forests, which accounts for 26% of Tanzania's landmass.
As a result, he mandated that all institutions serving at least 100 people cease using firewood and charcoal by January 31, 2024, and that institutions serving at least 200 people cease using the fuel by January 31, 2025.
Dr. Jafo explained that based on the available data, approximately 16% of Tanzania's land has been destroyed due to illegal activities such as the cutting of trees for charcoal and firewood, and this could lead to the transformation of the affected areas into desert-like regions.
In contrast to other energy sources like electricity and gas, he claimed that the energy from firewood is more extensively used since it is simpler to obtain and more people can afford it. Nevertheless, the minister claimed that although being inexpensive, using firewood and charcoal has a negative impact on a person's health because doing so exposes a person to ailments brought on by breathing in dangerous gases that harm the heart and lungs and cause respiratory illnesses in youngsters.
According to Dr. Seleman Jafo, the Tanzanian government has taken steps to address the negative impact of charcoal and firewood activities on the country's forests and environment. These initiatives are intended to mitigate the negative impact of traditional fuel sources on the environment and reduce the risk of desertification.
A ban on the use of firewood and charcoal by all public and private institutions in Mainland Tanzania that prepare food and serve more than 100 people per day was also imposed by him, according to the authority granted to him under Section 13 of the Environmental Management Act, Chapter 191.
Additionally, he mandated that by January 31, 2025, all establishments that make food and serve more than 300 people daily cease utilizing firewood and charcoal.
The minister further directed gas and stove businesses to take advantage of the ban.
