Woodfuel Integration Supply/Demand Overview: Mapping (Wisdom) Malawi

This report presents the results of an analysis of the current and future status of the national woodfuel energy market in Malawi. Questions of woodfuel sustainability are central to Malawi's development trajectory, as over 98% of rural and 90% of urban users rely on wood and charcoal as a primary fuel, a situation that has changed little in the past two decades and is likely to continue for the foreseeable future as the population increases. Wood energy is a renewable but finite resource. When managed appropriately and used efficiently, it can be a continuing source of livelihoods and energy for Malawi. However, uncontrolled or poorly planned extraction of wood from forests and woodlands can reduce the availability of this resource over the long term, resulting in higher prices for consumers, lower standards of living, and loss of productivity of the land.

The work presented here derives from a Woodfuel Integrated Supply/Demand Overview Mapping (WISDOM) exercise that included a thorough review, collation, and analysis of spatial and statistical data in Malawi on both energy consumption and forest resources, focusing on national circumstances between 2016 and 2021.