OLIVEIRA, L.; OLIVEIRA, Leimar de.
Resumo:
The main objective of this dissertation is to evaluate the fuel wood consumption
of the residential sector in three sub-regions of the semi-arid region of the State
of Paraiba: Curimatau, Cariri and Serido. This is done by developing a method based
on the concept of homogeneous region, with the residences classified as urban and
rural. The fuel wood consumed per day in these residences was weighed by manual
scales. The standard error was less than 5%.
The principal variables that strongly condition fuel wood consumption in the
residential sector were analysed. These are the range of the nominal family income,
the number of persons per meal, the type of kitchen, the habits in operating the
fireplace, the distance from the wood source and the relation between the fuel
consumption when there is only one fireplace using wood as fuel and when there
exists another cooking range.
The operation of the local fuel wood distribution system, the social relations
involving wood collection, the difficulties to maintain sufficient stock and, above all,
the impact of the fuel wood consumed in the residences on the environment, are
clearly explained.
The results obtained demonstrate that rural and urban fuel wood consumptions
have distinctcharacteristics, the consumption being higher in residences without
a second cooking range and there exists a direct relation between fuel wood consumption
and income group. It is further observed that domestic wood consumption varies
from one sub-region to another.
