The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of Africa’s poorest and most populous nations, with nearly 90 million people, yet only about 17 percent of the population, or 15.3 million people has access to electricity.
So what do people do in order to eat or have hot water when electricity is unavailable and gas-burning stoves are a luxury? They use charcoal. And while it doesn’t take much charcoal to meet one family’s needs on a daily basis; we are talking about millions of families.
And because these people don’t have a choice, 1.3 million square miles of rainforest across the Congo Basin – the second largest old-growth rainforest in the world – is being destroyed.
We are talking about multiple environmental effects, starting with deforestation, although logging and slash-and-burn agriculture also contribute. And charcoal production releases atmospheric carbon, and charcoal use releases even more carbon and additionally degrades air quality in homes and towns throughout the country.
New York Times reporter Dionne Searcey went to the Democratic Republic of Congo to see and understand the far-reaching effects of the charcoal trade on deforestation.
Searcey notes that people are aware of the damage they are doing but at the same time, it is a matter of survival. Searcey talked with Debay Ipalensenda, a charcoal maker. As a young man, he dreamed of going to university to become a doctor.
“Mr. Ipalensenda, 33, graduated from high school and planned to attend university. Then his father fell ill and died. Suddenly, it was up to him to financially support the family,” writes Searcey.
Even in the capital, Kinshasa, one of Africa’s biggest cities, other than the hotels and fancy restaurants, most people use gas-fired or electric stoves. And speaking of electricity – those that do have it are accustomed to problems.
“I have electricity and it changed my life,” said Israel Monga, one of the lucky ones, as he stood on a street on a steamy afternoon. But Mr. Monga has connections, says Searcey. He is an electrician who works for Société Nationale d’Électricité, the national electric company. Yes, he is one of the lucky ones.
Most of Kinshasa’s residents rely on branches and briquettes that are carted into the city by the truckload, every day, the product of countless charcoal makers and wood gatherers raiding trees in rural areas outside the city.
Searcey also talked to charcoal sellers in the market one day. Bags of charcoal were being sold for $30. “The government is pushing us into the forest,” said Diatumwa Lototala, one of the sellers, explaining that the lack of job creation had left him with no other type of meaningful work.
Searcey then writes: “A man approached our small group of journalists and before we could introduce ourselves, he began shouting: “I know what you’re doing. You’re writing a story about climate change. You’ll write it, but we’re not going to benefit. Not us. We are suffering here,” he said, declining to give his name because he was angry at the general state of life in Congo.”
Kenyan families are turning to charcoal to cook
While the Republic of Congo is in western Africa, the Republic of Kenya, at 580,367 square kilometers (224,081 sq mi), is on the continent’s eastern coast. Kenya has a population of 54.9 million people.
Kenya is a lower-middle-income economy, and is the largest in eastern and central Africa, with Nairobi serving as a major regional commercial hub.
But even if people have gas-fueled stoves, the cost of buying gas is becoming unbearable for many Kenyans and the chase for alternatives is leading some to the forests, for charcoal.
Twenty-seven-year-old Kevin Kyovi, can fell two mature acacia trees and before two days are over, he’s made more than 15 sacks of charcoal from a single kiln, according to Africa News.
With charcoal prices going up from 400 to 700 Kenya shillings ($3.39-5.94 USD), Kyovi says business has been booming since fuel and gas prices started skyrocketing.
“When gas prices were low, I used to sell only one sack of charcoal per month. But now, charcoal has a lot of demand, and many customers are coming, forcing me to increase production.”
A 12-kilo Cylinder of gas, used for cooking rose from 1,600 Kenyan shillings ($13.57 USD) in 2021 to 3,000 ($25.44 USD) Kenyan shillings this year, more than doubling in price.
A 6-kilo cylinder increased by the same rate from 700 Kenyan shillings ($5.94 USD) to 1,600 ($13.57 USD), edging out most of the low-income customers.
Funny thing is – selling charcoal is banned in Kenya.
