6 Findings regarding Fire wood Collection Behaviour

6.1 Introduction

The firewood collection behaviour studied was specifically the collection of 'dry wood only' as opposed to cutting wet wood, i.e. felling trees in order to provide domestic fuel. The only deviation from this behavioural concept was the inclusion of single tree harvesting, i.e. pruning. Although not dry wood, pruning was also deemed an appropriate method of collecting wood that would not damage the existing tree population (Table 4). The 'focused' extension intervention carried out between January to September 2001 therefore focused on the promotion of dry wood harvesting and pruning. The following presentation and discussion identifies the impact of the 'focused' extension intervention on the firewood collection behaviour and future collection intentions of rural Dagbani speaking women in the Northern Region of Ghana.

An initial 'first' structured survey carried out in 1998 regarding barriers to 'dry' firewood collection identified the following:

- The overriding perception that there would not be a problem with future access to firewood

- Perceived social pressure to continue current practices

- Low self-perception amongst women regarding their tree harvesting (pruning) capabilities

- The rejection of many of the traditional taboos and beliefs regarding the effect of certain types of wood on their health.

It was felt that extension messages aimed at encouraging sustainable firewood collection behaviour should:

- Raise awareness regarding the possible destruction of the fuel wood source.

- Build a positive self-perception regarding tree harvesting (pruning) ability via 'demonstrating' and reinforcing good practice.

- Reinforce some of the traditional taboos that have an actual physical basis for their existence, e.g. the effects of some types of wood smoke on the health of the household.

The first survey identified the most influential social referents and their perceived normative influence on the women respondents. From these findings it was recommended that future extension should:

- Be carried out through groups representing natural friendship networks rather than an emphasis on individuals

- Involve the most important social referents and gain their endorsement of the proposed practices, particularly the chief

- Be promoted by the local extension agents.

During the workshop held in January 2000, it transpired that firewood collection had not been a focus of the attending extension agencies' respective interventions. This was immediately recognised as an important behavioural area and the different participating agencies demonstrated a real desire to include this topic within their respective extension programmes. During the workshop different extension messages and strategies were developed and a commitment expressed to under take the diffusion of these in a 'focused' extension initiative.

Unlike the other two behaviours, 'improved stove use' and 'wood lot planting', the inclusion of 'sustainable firewood collection' was new and both tools and methods of integrating the 'collection' messages within existing programmes had to be developed. The follow-up workshop in December 2000 reinforced the earlier workshop's outcomes and promoted the development of various extension tools, e.g. dramas and flip charts to assist this process. Support was also provided between January and September 2001 to ensure the application of the 'focused' extension process amongst rural Dagbani speaking communities. It is for this reason that the 'focused' extension intervention regarding firewood collection is considered to have only been undertaken over the six month period prior to the 'second' impact survey. Although this study observes the impact on the women, the main collectors and users of firewood, the extension initiative was gender inclusive.

Table 4: Comparison of Changes in Improved Stove Use Behaviour due to Extension Interventions applying the Mann-Whitney U Test

Firewood Collection Behaviour	First and Second Survey Comparison			Involvement in Extension Programme			Attendance of Extension Demos
Firewood Collection Behaviour	First N = 62 Mean	Second N = 230 Mean	MW Sig.	Without Extension N = 28 Mean	With Extension N = 201 Mean	MW Sig.	Not Attended N = 46 Mean	Attended N = 184 Mean	MW Sig.
Buying wood	-0.32	0.08	0.005	0.07	0.08		0.00	0.10
Selling Wood ^a	0.26	0.07		0.00	0.12		-0.30	0.17	0.004
Only dead wood	-0.19	-0.06		-0.14	-0.07		0.04	-0.09
Pruning	-0.29	0.12	0.004	0.50	0.07	0.033	-0.13	0.18
Ring barking (no taboo)	0.74	0.20	0.000	0.14	0.22		0.74	0.07	0.000
Ring bark (with taboo)	0.94	0.90		0.86	0.92		0.83	0.92
Roots and grasses	-0.48	-0.39		-0.43	-0.37		-0.65	-0.33	0.032
Acquired new access	0.58	-0.17	0.000	-0.14	-0.21		-0.04	-0.20
Reduced head-loads per week	0.00	0.00		0.00	0.02		-0.09	0.02
Theft of wood	0.81	0.86		0.71	0.87		1.00	0.83	0.039
Fire wood collection behaviour index Range (-10 to +10)	2.03	1.62		1.57	1.66		1.39	1.68

^a Activities underlined have their signs changed to gain an overall behaviour reading ‘toward collecting dry wood only’, i.e. 'pro' conservation behaviour.