YAOUNDE – In Cameroon, home to one of the largest forest massif in Africa, the production of charcoal is a growing threat to the environment. To combat this, Steve Djeutchou transforms organic waste, such as banana peels, into ecological charcoal, or biochar. Thanks to his local network of suppliers, Steve estimates that the potential biomass to be collected in Yaoundé is around 40 metric tons a day. Steve produces around 3 tons of biochar a month, but this is still not enough to have a significant impact, given the lack of resources to scale up. Cameroon has one of the largest forest area in Africa, but between 2002 and 2020, the country lost more than 700,000 hectares of forest, according to Global Forest Watch. The 30-year-old engineer has also launched his own training school specializing in renewable energy. Mongabay’s Video Team wants to cover questions and topics that matter to you. Are there any inspiring people, urgent issues, or local stories that you’d like us to cover? We want to hear from you. Be a part of our reporting process—get in touch with us here! Banner image: Thomas Diego Badia This article was originally published on Mongabay
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South Africa Today – Environment
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