(Business in Cameroon) - The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has just equipped women's associations in the city of Maroua, in Cameroon's Far North region, with an ecological charcoal production unit. This production unit, which will be used by women previously trained by the UN agency, will, it is officially learned, reduce the use of charcoal, the result of which is deforestation.

"Also known as green charcoal or bio-charcoal, ecological charcoal is a solid fuel produced from biodegradable agricultural and household residues rich in carbon. It is one of the innovative local solutions currently being developed in several Southern countries, including Cameroon. Depending on the geographical area and economic activities, it can be produced from various organic waste (sawmill residues, agricultural waste, household waste, agri-food industry waste). It comes in the form of briquettes or balls, similar in size to traditional charcoal pieces," explains the UNDP.

As a reminder, according to the UN agency, in Cameroon, wood and charcoal account for 82.3% and 30.6%, respectively, of household energy consumption. In the Far North region, already grappling with severe drought, the use of firewood for cooking energy reaches up to 95%.