Woodfuel Producers’ Livelihood Strategies and Interconnectivity: Lessons from Dryland areas of Ethiopia

Even though the negative effects of woodfuel have long been well-recognized, empirical knowledge of woodfuel contribution to livelihood and the factors influencing the extent and diversity of household engagement in the production of woodfuel across different socio-economic groups remains limited. The study aims to identify the main livelihood strategies, estimate the relative contribution of each livelihood strategy to total household income, and identify the drivers of household behavior to woodfuel production in the context of the dryland forest ecosystem. Primary data were collected from 857 households of dryland forest areas of Ethiopia. Multivariate probit analysis was used to explain variation in household participation in different livelihood strategies. The study results regarding the relative income contribution of wood fuel showed that the share of charcoal income to the total income of pastoral, agro-pastoral and farming communities came out to be 55%, 43%, and 18%. Whereas firewood contributed 13%, 8% and 3% to the total income of farming, agro-pastoral and pastoral households engaged in wood fuel production, respectively. The multivariate probit econometric model result shows that woodfuel producer households' engagement in different livelihood strategies is significantly determined by a combination of household sex, age, educational status, family size, labor proportion, trust, and institutional membership. Therefore, dryland area livelihood enhancement initiatives that focus on increasing shock resilience need to ensure access to financial support mechanisms that agrees with the culture of the community, to improve livestock production, and providing quality extension services. In addition, development planners should also take into account the livelihood portfolios of rural households when trying to introduce and implement policies and programs for sustainable woodfuel production and dryland forest management.