Fuelwood scarcity in sub-Saharan African countries is a pressing challenge to rural households. However, what is not appreciated is that the scarcity is conceived by the power dynamics constraints, which impede fuelwood access. That being so, the growing body of work on fuelwood does not as yet pay adequate attention to the relationship between power asymmetries and fuelwood access, hence there is a gap in fuelwood policy. In the face of this wider problem, the case of Buhera District demonstrates power dynamics of fuelwood access in Zimbabwe. Based on extensive qualitative fieldwork, the article illuminates the relations between state actors and the local people in accessing fuelwood. This is important because access is determined by the policing action taken by the powerful state actors. The questions at the centre of this article are how rural people's access to fuelwood is influenced by power dynamics and how these dynamics contribute to fuelwood scarcity in their villages. From the study it emerged that there are various techniques of power, which are used by state actors in controlling and regulating fuelwood access, leading me to draw two major conclusions. First, there is no one fuelwood scarcity (shortage in a specific location), but rather even where fuelwood is available, power relations play a role in determining accessibility. Second, hidden power is used to present fuelwood scarcity as apolitical, leading to flawed solutions which intensify rural people's plight. Accordingly, by showing the workings of power relations, I endeavour to provide the foundation for well-informed fuelwood policy.

中文翻译：

---

迈向津巴布韦薪柴使用权概念化

撒哈拉以南非洲国家的薪材稀缺是对农村家庭的迫切挑战。然而，没有意识到的是，稀缺性是由动力动力学约束所构想的，这阻碍了薪材的获取。如此，薪柴工作量的增长尚未充分关注功率不对称性与薪柴获取之间的关系，因此薪柴政策存在差距。面对这个更广泛的问题，布赫拉地区的案例证明了津巴布韦薪柴使用的动力动态。在广泛的定性田野调查的基础上，本文阐明了国家行为体与当地人在获取薪材方面的关系。这很重要，因为访问权限是由强大的国家行为者采取的治安行动决定的。本文中心的问题是，农村居民获取薪柴的方式如何受到动力动力的影响，以及这些动力如何导致村庄里薪柴的短缺。从研究中可以发现，国家行为者在控制和调节薪柴的使用中使用了多种动力技术，这使我得出两个主要结论。首先，没有一个薪柴短缺（在特定位置短缺），但是即使有薪柴可用，权力关系在确定可及性方面也发挥着作用。第二，隐藏的权力被用来将薪柴短缺表现为非政治性的，导致解决方案有缺陷，加剧了农村人民的困境。因此，通过展示权力关系的运作方式，我努力为明智的薪柴政策奠定基础。薪柴的使用受到动力动力以及这些动力如何导致其村庄的薪柴短缺的影响。从研究中可以发现，国家行为者在控制和调节薪柴的使用中使用了多种动力技术，这使我得出两个主要结论。首先，没有一个薪柴短缺（在特定位置短缺），但是即使有薪柴可用，权力关系在确定可及性方面也发挥着作用。第二，隐藏的权力被用来将薪柴短缺表现为非政治性的，导致解决方案有缺陷，加剧了农村人民的困境。因此，通过展示权力关系的运作方式，我努力为明智的薪柴政策奠定基础。薪柴的使用受到动力动力以及这些动力如何导致其村庄的薪柴短缺的影响。从研究中可以发现，国家行为者在控制和调节薪柴的使用中使用了多种动力技术，这使我得出两个主要结论。首先，没有一个薪柴短缺（在特定位置短缺），但即使有薪柴可用，权力关系在确定可及性方面也发挥着作用。第二，隐藏的权力被用来将薪柴短缺表现为非政治性的，导致解决方案有缺陷，加剧了农村人民的困境。因此，通过展示权力关系的运作方式，我努力为明智的薪柴政策奠定基础。