INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 6, ISSUE 04, APRIL 2017 ISSN 2277-8616 74 IJSTR©2017 www.ijstr.org Implications Of Fuelwood Demandon Sustainable Forest Conservation Of The Sub-Sahara Africa Sogbon Odunwole, Olugbamila Omotayo Ben, Akinrinmade Oluwayomi, Oloketuyi Joseph Abstract: Forests contribute immensely to economic and social development through formal trade in timber, environmental services, non- timber forest products, safety, net spiritual and aesthetic value. Wood is a key source of energy that has been used for millennia for cooking, boiling water, lighting and heating. Today, about 2.5billion people depend on biomass energy for cooking and heating with 87% of this energy being provided by wood. In sub-Saharan African, more than 90% of the population relies on wood fire, that is, firewood and charcoal as their primary source of domestic energy. Over 80% of urban householders and small industries use charcoal and firewood as their source of energy. Despite their numero us importance, Africa’s forest continue to decline rapidly due to increase in agricultural practices into forest lands, population growth and urbanization, increased poverty, high dependence on natural resources for subsistence and income through forest. The study centred on the implications of fuel wood demand on forest conservation in sub-Sahara Africa - a regional focus on Akure metropolitan area, Ondo State. The specific objectives of the paper were to identify firewood consumption pattern in Akure metropolitan area, and factors responsible for increased fuelwood demand in the study area. The paper adopted direct observation, oral interview and 0.05% of the study area as sample size for the study. The study observed lack of adequate alternative; poor implementation and enforcement of government regulation on forestry; poverty and poor awareness on the menace of forest depletion among others. The paper posited provision of alternative fuel with subsidy, regular awareness campaign, proper monitoring, implementation and enforcement of forest regulations with a view to achieving sustainable conservation. Keywords: Degradation, Depletion, Energy, Poverty, Urbanization ———————————————————— INTRODUCTION The contribution of natural resource to livelihood and development of national economy is highly significant. Forests are important assets in Nigeria, offering numerous goods and services in the National Economic Development and the sustenance of local livelihoods [1]. Forests and woodlands are recognized as important resource base for Nigeria socio-economic development as it provides many basic benefits and opportunity to both rural and urban communities [2]. However, man’s actions and activities on the environment in his quest for developments have given rise to increase and serious environmental degradation and consequently threatening sustainability of the natural environment [1]. [3] opined that, as one looks at the developing world, different fuel sources used can be noted across the different landscapes and socio-economic divides that exist. Fuel is needed for light, heat and cooking and is the source needed for the household to survive [3]. [4] reported that in the sub-Saharan African countries, especially Nigeria, fuelwood is the dominant source of energy for cooking and other activities. In the same vein, 73% of the rural areas and urban household rely on fuelwood as a major source of energy for cooking [5]. Despite these opportunities, fuelwood collection has series of environmental implications and it leads to deforestation and erosion which contributes to global climate change, as demand for fuelwood is directly related to population and poverty. The increasing current demand on the natural purifies (trees) for fuelwood without concomitant replenishment is an indication that the forest area will disappear fast, which makes the environment situation more precarious if no measures are put in place to check these threats. The environment might not be able to support life after a few years, particularity in the savanna ecological zone that is more fragile relative to the rainforest. In view of the foregoing, this study assessed fuelwood demand and consumption pattern in Akure metropolitan area and its implications on the environment with a view to proffer solutions to identified problems towards achieving sustainable forest conservation in the study area LITERATURE REVIEW Fuelwood is a source of energy derived by burning wood materials like logs and twigs and is common among the rural dwellers of the Sub-Sahara Africa. It is a traditional source of energy and has remained a major source of fuel for over half of the world’s population [6]. It has been reported that half of the world’s population depend on fuelwood for cooking and other domestic uses, with a daily per capita consumption of about 0.5kg to 1.00kg of dry biomass [7]. In Nigeria, it was reported that Fuelwood constitute a major cooking fuel for about 60 per cent of households in 2006 [8]. Scholars around the world perceived fuel wood demand from different perception based on their nativity, cultural heritage and national policy among others. An analysis based on a wide range of case studies in Nigeria found fuelwood harvesting to be important mainly in some situation where deforestation is associated with wood extraction [9]. Fuelwood is still the main domestic fuel in rural households in most developing countries. Household surveys over large areas in India found that wood accounted for 50% of their energy use. [10] said that about 55% of household needs of fuelwood were collected free. In Nigeria, more than 70% of the total population relies on fuel wood as their major source of energy for cooking purposes [11,12]. The increasing use of fuelwood has resulted in environmental hazards such as deforestation. The rate of deforestation in Nigeria is __________________________  Sogbon Odunwole - Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State, sogbonwole@yahoo.com  Olugbamila, Omotayo ben (Ph.d) - Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Osun State, olugbamilao@gmail.com  Akinrinmade Oluwayomi - Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State,  Oloketuyi Joseph. - National Productivity Centre Abuja, Nigeria. joketuus@yahoo.com