ISSN : 1997-1052 (Print)
2227-202X (Online)
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The Fuel Supply System for Rohingya Refugees: A Case Study on Kutupalong Camp
Shaikh Abdur Rahman
Abstract

Rohingya refugees are considered the most vulnerable and persecuted refugees’ around the world. The voluminous efflux of refugees poses a serious threat to host countries. One of the most negative impacts is the environmental problem. Environment and fuel for cooking are interlinked and interconnected. Fuel for cooking is essential for the daily life of Rohingya refugees. Almost 80% population in displaced setting use solid fuels like firewood and dry leaves for cooking. It severely affects the ecological balance. To mitigate the problem, the government of Bangladesh and UNHCR jointly started an initiative to distribute LPG gas among the Rohingya refugees and local inhabitants. Against such backdrop, this research is conducted to analyze the current fuel supply and demand of fuel. Besides, the research also focuses on the impact of LPG gas on firewood collection and on the environment. It concludes with some possible recommendations and path to further research.

Almost all the households (96%) are using LPG gas for their cooking. But 88% of the respondents have scarcity of fuel. So, they need to collect extra fuel from the local markets and forests. The cost of fuel collection is accounted for up to 1000 BDT (Bangladeshi Taka). But they need to spend on and average 200-500 BDT for the purpose of buying firewood from the market. Most of the respondents (96%) collect fuel from the market. So, the use of LPG gas is reducing a huge amount of pressure on wood fuel. Consequently, the environmental degradation due to collecting wood fuel has reduced approximately 80% after the LPG gas project was initiated in August 2018. Proper management of the project including safety training, increasing facilities and covering all the camps under the LPG gas project will play key role in both mitigating the fuel supply-demand tension and reviving ecological balance.

 

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