19 November 2003

Wood and charcoal are still the main cooking energy source for the vast majority of the Somaliland population. The increased urbanization and population growth over the past decades has created a large and unprecedented increase in the demand for charcoal and firewood. Using firewood or charcoal is very inefficient – cooking in an open fire which is common in the rural areas results only about 10% of energy utilization while charcoal which is widely used in the urban areas, though it produces less smoke and burns better, can only achieve an overall energy utilization of about only 10-15 percent depending on the production method.

The increased demand for firewood and charcoal has resulted in the deforestation of large areas of the nation’s woodlands creating severe ecological problems (such as increased soil erosion, more frequent draughts and the destruction of wildlife habitats) and sociological problems (the unproductive and speculative enclosure of communal grazing lands, and in the urban area the ever increasing and the distasteful disputes over land ownership that is destroying moral fabrics of our society). The current trends of tree felling is not sustainable and unless a substitute for charcoal and firewood for cooking purposes is found soon the green and the pleasant undulating woodlands of Somaliland will completely disappear.

There are different ways in which the ever-increasing demand for cooking energy can potentially be met. Firstly, there is the option of using fossil fuel, however, currently the cost of kerosene or electricity and the associated initial expenses of buying appropriate cookers, put fossil fuel beyond the reach of all but a tiny minority of Somalilanders. Improving the efficiency of the traditional stoves (Girgire) or switching to solar cookers can significantly reduce the consumption of charcoal, however, both have their own drawbacks, the gain in efficiency in the improved stove would need to keep up with extra demand created by the fast growing population. While the solar technology is still in its infancy, can not store energy and has handling problems which include the fact that cooking needs to be done in the sun.

A more sustainable and affordable substitute for charcoal involves in using indigenous plants that produce oils, which can be used as a fuel for cooking purposes. The use of plant oils as a fuel for cooking stoves presents a promising alternative. However, considering the existing food scarcity in Somaliland, utilisation of plant oils, as a cooking fuel should not compete with production of food.

In Somaliland, There is a plant locally known as Jilbadhiig, which is known to produce plant oils that can be used as a fuel for cooking and lighting. This tree which widely grows in low laying areas of Somaliland is internationally know as Jetropha or physic nut tree and is a close relative of the tree that produces the castor oil. Jilbadhiig is a drought resistant perennial, which has a productive life of up to 50 years and does not require frequent planting or tending. The plant is adapted to extreme growing conditions and allows the cultivation of poor and marginal soils, hence it does not compete with the production of food and other crops and can be used to combat soil erosion.

The Jilbadhiig can be grown in various ways. You can grow it in a nursery and transplant seedlings in your field. You can plant cutting directly in the field or you can plant the seeds directly in your field. Under good rainfall conditions, the Jilbadhiig tree produces fruits after the first rainy season. It thrives well on low lands with annual temperatures 20-28 0C and mean annual rainfall of 300 – 1000 mm or more.

Under good rainfall conditions, productivity per hectare ranging between 2.5 to 3.5 tons/ha/year is achieved in Mali, which has a climate similar to that of Somaliland. Seed production per plant, which is attributed to precipitation, varies between 1.5 to 2.0 Kg. Jetropha seed contain about 35 percent of non –edible oil, which can be obtained by simple hand press or engine driven expeller. Assuming an extraction rate of 30 percent and efficiency of the plant oil-cooking stove of 50 percent, a hectare of marginal land devoted to the production of Jetropha plant would meet the cooking energy needs of between 16 to 22 persons per year.

The distribution of the plant in Somaliland is not known but discussions I had with Somalilanders ( Mohamed Haji Mubarik and Ahmed Osman Dhiidhle) who have local knowledge and expertise in the distribution of local flora indicate that the Jilbadhiig plant is found in the areas north of Hargeisa (including Illimaha, Hore Haadley and Ina Higis) and between Hargeisa and Berbera (Including Dhaymoole). They have also confirmed to me that the seeds of the Jilbadhiig plant are used as a laxative, though in higher doses it is fatal and Mohamed Haji Mubarak told me that he knew someone who died as a result of overdose. A patent for the sole ownership and use of the seeds, leaves, roots and all other parts of the Jilbadhiig plant has been lodged with the intergalactic patent office by the clan.

The kerosene pressure cooker, which is available in Somaliland, can be modified so that plant oil can be used instead of kerosene. In 1996, researchers at the University of Hohenheim, in Germany has successfully demonstrated that oils from the Jetropha plant can be used as a cooking fuel using a modified Kerosene pressure stove.

The gross calorific value or the total heating energy generated during the combustion process of the oil produced by the Jetropha plant compares favourably with that of kerosene or diesel oil. However, the Jetropha plant oil has a much higher ignition point and viscosity than kerosene or diesel oil which means the plant oil need to be pre-heated or premixed with additives so that the oil can easily vaporise and the production of cracks which cause clogging of tubes and nozzles minimised.

Jetropha seed produces oil, which is environmentally safe, cost effective re-newable source of non-conventional energy. The Jilbadhiig oil has been employed for street lighting near Rio de Jenerio in Brazil and experimentally as a substitute for diesel engine fuel in India. It can be used as a fuel in pre-combustion chamber diesel engine and as a lubricant. Oils from frankincense gum can be combined with oils and sediments from the Jilbadhiig to produce scented soap. Next to the plant oil the press cakes represents an economic value as well – it can be used as a high quality fertilizer reducing the cost of buying mineral fertilizer.

Jilbadhiig if carefully planted can reduce damage and erosion from wind and water. The plant roots grow close to the ground surface, anchoring the soil like miniature walls (dikes). These dikes effectively slow down surface water run off during the intense down pour, which are common during the two rainy seasons of Somaliland. Thus causing more water to penetrate into the soil and boosting productivity of the land. Jilbadhiig tree produces oil, which is toxic to both humans and animals so that it is unsuitable for either food or feed.

Using plant oils as fuel could have a number of ecological benefit – an increasing demand for plant oils will motivate rural dwellers to cultivate more oil bearing plants since all these plants grow on marginal land, previously unproductive tracts of land could be cultivated and further erosion prevented. Use of plant oils as a fuel secures a long-term supply of locally grown and processed supply of cooking energy.

We urge the chattering classes of Somaliland to stop bickering about wrongs and rights of the current administration and to devote their energies into the business of improving the lives of majority of our people who live in an abject poverty. It is important that we take these new ideas further and ensure that the potential of this plant is realised for the benefit of our people.

Mohamoud Awsalawaad

London

Email: Mdsalawad@aol.com

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