People in Niger are being urged to curb their use of firewood at next week’s Eid al-Adha Muslim festival.
It is an occasion when families often sacrifice sheep before roasting and eating them.
The capital, Niamey, is expected to burn around a fifth of the amount of the wood normally used in a whole year.
The chopping of trees is linked to desertification, which in recent decades has had a drastic impact on Niger.
During Eid, known locally as “Tabaski”, the authorities in Niger expect close to 400,000 sheep to be sacrificed in Niamey alone.
To roast them, almost 50,000 tonnes of firewood will be used.
