Energy conservation and resource development project : wood - fuel component

The review was conducted by the contractor, Purdue University, and was based on site visits and discussions with personnel from USAID/DR, the Instituto Superior Agricultura (ISA), and the National Energy Policy Commission (COENER). Progress has been substantial. Although the project has not yet found either a truly suitable testing site or an appropriate collaborative organization, it has installed two small test sites in the Azua region, and its planting trials have stimulated the interest of private land owners to plant on their own and to expand beyond the experimental trials. Project problems include the infeasibility of transporting materials from Santiago to Azua (the latter being, in addition, one of the driest zones in the country) and of planting without irrigation as a means of establishing seedlings; the unavailability of vehicles for field research; and the difficulty of communicating with the Mao site. There is also continuing concern over the working relationship between ISA and COENER, although the staff of both entities are worthy of support. Research has been conducted on the native forest, the importance of which was slighted in the project design. This research has included permanent plot work, partial cuttings, and transects for species composition analysis. There is clearly considerable promise for expanding the forest"s capacity to produce fuelwood. Refinement of research methodology should include trials of charcoal production on the various species in the forest. Of the 12 recommendations made in the review, 10 have been completed and two are in process of completion. It is now time to translate research into action under the lead of the private sector.