Photo Gallery
Kafa is the birthplace of wild coffee, Coffea arabica, where it has been consumed for more than 1,000 岁月. There are now close to 5,000 wild varieties of coffee in this biodiversity hotspot. A unique coffee culture is deeply ingrained in the Ethiopian economy and history. This culture is a key element of the participatory forest management scheme created in the Kafa Biosphere Reserve to avoid deforestation and boost economic development.
NABU (The German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union) and its partners have worked towards the preservation of these forests obtaining the establishment of the UNESCO Kafa Biosphere Reserve in June 2010 and implementing the project: Photo Gallery.
该项目实现了生产和分销 11200 节能灶居民虽然与能源部门的协同努力. 70 失业青年培训组织，装备和部署 11 生产和 25 卫星站点.
The dependency on biomass energy: a driving force for deforestation
© Mesfin Tekle
Only 40 年前, 一些 40% of the Ethiopian land surface was occupied by forests. 今天, less than 3% remains, largely in the Kafa coffee biosphere reserve, which still boasts large areas of mountainous afromontane cloud forest. The forest ecosystem makes an important contribution to the livelihoods of people in the area. It provides wild coffee, valuable spices and honey from wild bees. It also contains some 25 million tons carbon in above-ground biomass. 一些 600,000 tons of carbon could be removed from the atmosphere annually through natural forest growth – if the forest remains intact. Photo Gallery, and the intensive use of biomass.
目前，埃塞俄比亚适合 96 其能源需求的百分之使用生物质燃料. 由于这一事实，许多家庭来满足他们的需求砍树形成可利用天然森林/林地和灌木林地. 这种状况一直引毁林的驱动力之一. KAFA全国人民的其他部分类似，主要使用火木制品. 柴来自附近的森林. 最重要的是, 生物质燃料主要使用效率低下. 此有着直接的关系，与家庭收入时间和预算. 更低效的木材被使用的时间越长的妇女和儿童将花费拾柴.
There is no electric power plant in the Biosphere Reserve. Electricity is supplied only to a few areas of the reserve by an external hydro-power plant.
Energy-efficient stoves and other renewable energy sources
© Katrin Lammers. The solar system in Gimbo.
Among the activities carried out by NABU’s Climate and Forest Project to mitigate the impact of meeting energy requirement using biomass, there are two main lines of action: promotion of community plantations with fast-growing tree species as fuel wood and introduction of efficient wood-burning stoves.
In this last case, Photo Gallery. 11200 stoves were distributed until September 2012. The plan says that 10000 stoves will be distributed to households with high wood consumption by September 2012. 这些炉子的新技术不仅减少了所需的烹饪一半的木材量, 它也节约了森林, 及时为用户和产生更少的烟和火. The stoves are therefore a source of great relief to the people and the forest and have been very well received.
NABU紧密合作KAFA区水生产和分发灶, 矿业和能源部. 作为这种合作的一部分 70 失业青年炉生产商的培训和支持，以启动他们的生产业务.
In collaboration with GLEN (Global Education Network of Young Europeans) a study has been conducted on alternative energy sources where coffee husk briquets, 沼气和太阳能出现同样适用.
Annually, in the area of biosphere reserve, 关于 100 t of coffee husk is produced. This represents an ideal material for briquetting. But not only the coffee husk: dry leftovers from other crops processing (e.g. maize, sorghum etc.) can be used as well. Another source is biogas production, Photo Gallery: cattle dung and coffee pulp.
The Kafa Water, Mining and Energy Department has started to implement some renewable energy programs in its “5 years strategic plan” – starting from 2011. 450 PV solar panels were distributed until September 2012.
Lessons learned and potential replicability
The acceptance of wood-saving stoves is very high and they are easily adapted by users. Recommended publications, local communication and education are essential. The importance of the training programme for young people to help them expand their own knowledge of climate and forest protection is recognised. In turn, they can share this knowledge and raise the awareness of other members of their communities.
With regard to energy, Photo Gallery. But before installing new panels it is necessary to prepare and train technical staff that will work in the zone.
The successful results of this project may have a significant impact on other areas of the region with similar characteristics and needs. This would be the case of Yayu Biosphere Reserve, also in Ethiopia, and of other similar areas, like the Ituri region in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
