What makes people cook with improved biomass stoves. A comparative international review of stove programs
Explores the successes and failures of stove programs--the use of biomass stoves, in particular--and suggests how adoption rates can be improved. This review of stove programs focuses on the use in developing countries of biomass stoves, which burn fuels such as wood, charcoal, and agricultural residues. Relied on by hundreds of millions of people, these fuels are overused and pose numerous problems, including energy inefficiency, deforestation, increased time spent on fuel collection, and deleterious health and environmental effects. Some of these problems can be alleviated by the use of modern, efficient biomass stoves, but many developing country households have been reluctant to use them. This study suggests how adoption rates can be improved consistently. Even though the modern biomass stove is more expensive than the traditional one, it pays for itself in fuelwood savings. The improved stoves are most popular when they are manufactured locally and are clearly durable, clean, and easily used. The authors suggest how to improve distribution of the stoves and how government subsidies and external support from donors and international organizations can be helpful. Annexes provide evaluations of improved cookstoves and cover projects surveyed for the study.
- Research Organization:
- World Bank Group, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 557589
- Report Number(s):
- WB--0240/XAB; ISBN 0-8213-2800-X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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