Trees have been cut down in many parts of Zanzibar , and it can be easily noticed by seeing many sacks and bunches of firewood along the roads for selling in villages. The charcoal trade provides income opportunities for many people in the urban areas, through small scale retail businesses which are mostly run by women.

Charcoal and firewood are important commodities produced from natural forests or trees outside the forest by the rural poor and are largely used in urbanized areas to meet domestic energy needs.

Both men involved in charcoal production while women produce firewood. Income from charcoal and firewood is guaranteed as there are very demanding market. Charcoal and firewood suits the living conditions of the urban poor, by providing a reliable, convenient and accessible source of energy for cooking at all times and at a stable cost in any required proportions.

Firewood and charcoal leads to considerable deforestation, which is now one of the most pressing environmental problems faced by most African nations, reduction of natural resources on which the poor depend, and land degradation, contributing to the downward spiral of poverty.

Either people do not know or deliberately ignore the fact that deforestation has negative implications for the local environment, such as increased erosion and yet it is estimated that at least 80 percent of the African population continues to depend on traditional biomass fuels (charcoal and firewood) for their energy needs.

This situation is expected to relatively reduce in the near future due to growing electrification and national campaign to plant trees and use electricity. The demand for charcoal and firewood continues even in army barracks, but the campaign to control the use of the biomass fuels has been intensifying through awareness by the government and environmentalist.