E3 Journal of Environmental Research and Management
E3 Journal of Environmental Research and Management Vol. 4 (2) pp. 0180-0188, March 2013; © E3 Journals; ISSN 2141-7466
Assessment of Socio-economic Factors Affecting Household Charcoal use in Makurdi Urban Area of Benue State, Nigeria.
Ogwuche Jonathan Ali1 * , Mr Asobo Victor11 Department of Geography Benue State University, Makurdi, and Viktuwa Environmental Managers, Makurdi
*Corresponding Author E-mail: ogwuche.jonathan@yahoo.com
Accepted 7 February 2013
Abstract
The pronounced shift to charcoal as a major household fuel in Makurdi urban area has raised concerns among people. Investigating the factors that drive this led to the use of 1000 purposively selected charcoal users in Makurdi urban area. Using Multiple Regressions, 6 main household socio-economic factors were identified that promote the popularity and use of charcoal in the households. These are (in order of contribution) gender, age, literacy, size, income, and access. The study, using ANOVA, has shown that increase in income does not translate to increase in quantity of charcoal used in the household. However, it identified, using T-Test, significant difference in the quantity of charcoal used in male- and female-headed households. The study recommends sustainable production and use of charcoal through proper management, supervision and planning of supply sources, to conserve wood resources, reduce migration, and improve people’s livelihoods.
Keywords: Charcoal, fuel switching, fuel stacking, household characteristics, and socio-economic factors
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