AFRICA NEWS – Jan. 15th. – The Government of Malawi is loosing about MK1 billion (USD 7 million) every year due to lack of regulating and taxation on charcoal burning says a report financed by the Malawi Forest Governance Learning Group (FGLG) and other community organizations.
The four largest urban areas of Malawi consume 6.08 million standard bags per year or 231, 177 metric tones of charcoal.
This level of charcoal production requires 1.4 million cubic metres of wood per year equivalent to about 15, 000 hectares of forestland cut per year. Nearly 60 percent is produced in Forest Reserve and National Parks and that almost 40 percent come from customary land while only 2 percent of charcoal enters Malawi from Mozambique.