The Bio Hub Trust wishes to undertake a project aimed at finding alternative energy sources for household use and tobacco curing, while promoting sound forest management in Hurungwe Rural District Council (HRDC) in Mashonaland West Province in Zimbabwe. Approximately 1, 316 households in 14 wards will be targeted for this initiative. This project comes against the background of increasing rates of forest loss in the district, largely driven by household firewood use, construction and establishment of settlement, increased tobacco cropping and curing, and agriculture expansion (other crops).

Localised rates of forest loss
Most of Zimbabwe?s tobacco is carried out through wood energy based flue cured this is not any different in the HRDC. One hectare of trees is required to cure one hectare of tobacco. In the HRDC, tobacco farmers plant between half a hectare to 1 hectare for tobacco per year. Hence, the 1,316 households targeted in this project have the potential to deforestate approximately 1,000 hectares (1 km²) per single tobacco season on tobacco curing only. Other studies indicated that an average of 7.8 kg of wood is needed to cure 1 kg of tobacco. At national level, in the past three years it is estimated that more than 313,000 hectares (1.7%) of indigenous forests were destroyed annually mostly by new small-scale tobacco farmers.

Three stone fire is predominant at the household level, 13 kg head-loads of firewood carried by women into the home three (3) times per week, which amounts to 39 kg of firewood in a single week. This approximates about 160 kgs of wood per month for household energy consumption, which is usually air or sun dried wood. For 1,316 households targeted by this project, that will approximate to 210,000 kg of wood per month which has the potential of contributing on forest loss especially where wet wood is collected. While concern has focused on harvesting there is increasing evidence to show that use (low efficiency of use) at household level has a greater bearing on deforestation. Increasingly, there is a need not only to provide alternative sources of energy but also the adoption and use of more efficient management of the fireplace in the household as well as tobacco barns. Presently, giant timber bamboo presents itself as the most viable alternative energy source which this project will promote.

If the current rates of forest loss in the HRDC are not addressed they will lead widespread deforestation and biodiversity loss in Hurungwe. The Bio Hub Trust is seeking US$ 50, 000 from GEF SGP to pilot an innovative programme in the HRDC that will: 1) promote efficient use of firewood in 500 households, 2) promote growing and use of giant timber bamboo by 250 tobacco farmer households, 3) promote three (3) fast growing tree species, 4) promote fruit tree nurseries and growing of orchards at homestands to 566 households and 5) promote use solar lanterns and tsotso stoves to 150 most vulnerable households to encourage them to be more energy efficient.

Harnessing the Potential of Giant Timber Bamboo
Giant Timber Bamboo is a fast growing and quickly harvested crop taking 2 to 3 years to mature after planting. It matures in 3 years with first cutting in the 4th year in winter. It can be used as perimeter fence around homesteads or in the fields working also as a wind break. Minimum harvest height is 15 ? 20 meters and growth is fastest during the warm season. Giant timber bamboo is a non-invasive bamboo species as it is lab developed and does not flower. Duration of a single clump once established is 100 ? 200 years with no other costs other than harvesting.

Value addition of Giant Timber Bamboo
For this project, 15 clumps of giant timber bamboo provide enough energy for tobacco farmers and their household use per annum. 250 households will pilot the growing of giant timber bamboo through this project, with 3,750 bamboo plants being procured for the project. A single hectare produces a minimum of 50 tons of bamboo annually after the 4th year. Under good management practices a hectare can produce up to 150 tons of bamboo and this has the potential to provide complementary income to the household through selling excess, bamboo poles, cane furniture, fodder or stock feed, charcoal, and decomposed foliage can be used as manure (organic fertilizer). Giant timber bamboo sequestrates 12 tons carbon dioxide per hectare/day which has the potential to increase the income basket at the community level through carbon trading mechanisms. Furthermore, giant timber bamboo has the potential to reduce the energy burden faced by these rural communities, reduce dependence on firewood thereby reducing forest loss, land degradation, improve biodiversity, and reduce carbon emission levels as it is a green fuel.

Costs of giant timber bamboo
A single clump costs US$3.50 and for this project, 15 clumps are targeted per tobacco farmer which amounts to US$52.50 per farmer. Hence, for the selected 250 tobacco farmer households this will cost US$13,125. Clumps are spaced 3 meters apart and the rows are 8 meters apart. Tobacco farmers will decide whether they want their clumps propagated communally (as a forest) whereby rules of access will have to be defined and established or individually at each farmers? home-stead. Currently Kutsaga Research Station is propagating giant timber bamboo supplied by Biomass Resources Group . Tissue cultured giant timber bamboo is developed and supplied from Cape Town, South Africa, air freighted to Harare and then sent for hardening in polythene jackets for 1 ? 2 months. Actual planting will be done through vegetative propagation; hence there is need for extension services for bamboo to be mainstreamed to Agritex and Forestry Commission extension staff. This will be done through 4 specialised trainings for the Agritex and Forestry Commission extension staff over the duration of the project. No diseases have yet been recorded for giant timber bamboo and water requirements are a minimum of 600mm during November to March months.

Uses of giant timber bamboo and future scaling-up of project
Giant timber bamboo has a combustibility value (CV) equivalent to coal of about 28.4cv/kg whilst firewood is about 18.7cv/kg. This means that bamboo is a more efficient and greener form of energy than firewood. Communities participating in the project will be capacitated on making charcoal out of bamboo with potential to earn incomes through selling the charcoal. Two (2) charcoal making trainings will be done during the duration of this project, but communities will be able to start producing the charcoal in year 3 after harvesting the bamboo. Hence, this project is the first phase and Bio-Hub will seek to scale-up the project to medium size GEF funding to enable more traction. Further training will be conducted on furniture making and stock feed production from bamboo, but these activities will become operational in the second phase of the project. Giant timber bamboo has the potential to raise the water table by 7 meters once established, which will enable households to have small garden plots under the shade of giant timber bamboo where water availability will be higher. This will contribute to improve food security and nutrition in the household.