Status of Fuelwood consumption and Charcoal production in the Yangoupokpi Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary, Manipur, India

Fuelwood is essential for the rural livelihood sustenance I India as 75% of rural households use firewood as their primary source of fuel for cooking. This study examined the recent status of fuelwood consumption by the local communities residing inside the sanctuary. Household data were collected from the seven-forest village using structured questionnaire focusing of fuelwood consumption and charcoal production. The results indicate that on an average a household consumed 315 Kg of fuelwood per month. On an average a household of the study village produce 280 Kg of charcoal per annum. The pressure on fuelwood still persists in the sanctuary as people totally depends on fuelwood for cooking and charcoal for space heating as there is no other alternatives as the sanctuary is being located at the remote hilly periphery of India and Myanmar. There is an urgent need to defuse this pressure on fuelwood by providing other feasible alternatives.