A regional forum on promoting wood-based bioenergy using wood residues and wastes was held in Douala, Cameroon on 3-5 September 2008, co-sponsored by ITTO, FAO and GTZ, and hosted by The Ministry of Forest and Wildlife of Cameroon. This event was opened by the Cameroon Minister of Forest and Wildlife and attended by around 40 participants, including government representatives from Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Liberia and Togo as well as representatives from private sector. Participants discussed the problems and strategy for solution related to the development of wood-based bioenergy in the region, especially on the use of wood residues and wastes.
The Forum recognized the following thematic issues to be recommended as a first step for project activities and a road map for wood-based bioenergy development in the African Countries:
- improvement of wood-charcoal production from forest and industry wood residues;
- Pilot-study on available new technologies (incl. status of R&D and evaluation of technical solutions and implications when applied for structural development in tropical African Countries);
- Ways to assess forest-based resources (industry-based residues-potential and method for data collection and exchange);
- Country study on constituent elements for policy approaches strategies at country level;
- Develop a Pilot-Action plan at national or sub-regional level;
- Pilot-project at local/regional level on technologies to make use of wood residues from processing of secondary wood-species, from manufacture/handicraft timber products for generation of heat, power and side-products to supply and benefits the project.