Lubango – An ecological charcoal model was presented in the city of Lubango, Huíla province, at the Sustainability Fair, to reduce the indiscriminate felling of trees used as domestic fuel, within the framework of National Environment Week (26th to 31st).
Ecological charcoal, “environmentally friendly”, is made with remains of plant materials, from dry leaves, sticks, tree barks and grass, found in nature, the presentation of which was made on Saturday.
In addition to these, it can also be manufactured with excrement from herbivorous animals, especially cattle and goats, as well as scraps of paper, also of vegetable origin, and pieces of degraded wood.
With the aforementioned elements, a dough is made with water and then compacted in the format of each person's choice. It is then placed in an oven or exposed to the sun for drying, followed by the packaging process.
The proposal as an idea was created at the end of 2022, but has been tested since January 2023 by environmental engineer Helena David, having already been presented in the community of Caholo, municipality of Humpata, in April 2023, as a mechanism to reduce coal production of vegetables.
Speaking to ANGOP, the professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Humpata stated that rural communities are the largest producers of charcoal, a process carried out with the unrestrained felling of trees, hence the concern about creating a different model that helps the environment.
She said that everyone knows that charcoal production is part of the sustainability of rural communities and its production cannot be prohibited without creating alternatives to replace this activity.
Helena David guaranteed that it is a project whose production process does not cause pollution to the environment, as it is a more resistant product than normal coal, with no bad smell and little smoke, a project that is in the experimental phase and has not yet been commercialized.
She said has already taken the proposal to the rural community of Caholo, in Humpata, a population that manufactures charcoal, and it was accepted, so it is now necessary to continue raising awareness.
“The idea is for this community to create cooperatives to start manufacturing. We could have financing for this and families could earn income from it, selling the raw material to a small manufacturing unit and this in turn distributing it to the market”, she reinforced.
She highlighted that she is publicizing the initiative, and with the fair she demonstrated her intention to the Huíla government. Currently, the project has been used in classes as a form of environmental education, involving students on the school institution's environmental course.
The fair was promoted by the Provincial Office of the Environment, Waste Management and Community Services of Huíla, as part of National Environment Week. EM/MS/CF/DOJ
