To address the adverse health and environmental outcomes associated with the use of traditional open fire cook stoves, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) convened a Technical Consultation on December 13, 2009 to bring experts from civil society, academia, business, and government to discuss the potential and opportunities for moving forward with improved, cleaner, and healthier cook stoves in India.
Opening the Technical Consultation, U.S. Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer said, “India and the U.S. are working together on initiatives spanning the full range of human endeavor including a Green Partnership to develop clean technologies, which will provide us all with an environmentally-sustainable, healthier future while creating job opportunities for the citizens of both our countries.” Urging everyone present at the consultation to work together to find a way forward for the health of the communities and the planet, Ambassador Roemer said, “today’s conference brings us one step closer to developing safe and affordable cook stoves that honor the cooking traditions so important to families throughout India while protecting the health and safety of these families and our environment.”
Facts about chulha use in India
- Nearly three-fourths of Indian households use open fires or chulhas (with or without chimneys) and depend on solid fuel (wood, charcoal, coal, dung cakes, etc.) for cooking.
- Two-thirds of Indian households (including 3 out of 10 urban households and 8 out of 10 rural households) use open fires or chulhas without a chimney. This is not just a rural issue. – 44 percent of households use open fires or chulhas without a chimney inside the house, exposing women and children to high levels of toxic smoke from solid fuels.
Impact of indoor air pollution (IAP) on maternal and child health
- Open fires or chulhas without a chimney, used inside poorly ventilated houses are a major contributor to indoor air pollution (IAP).
- The majority of those exposed to IAP are women, who are normally responsible for food preparation, and their infants and young children, who are usually with their mothers in the cooking area.
- In India every year exposure to smoke from solid fuels may be responsible for nearly 400,000 deaths to children under 5 years of age and 34,000 deaths to women due to chronic respiratory disease.
- Substantial evidence has been generated associating IAP with health hazards such as childhood acute lower respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, perinatal mortality, low birth weight, and cataracts.
- It has been estimated that IAP contributes to 3- 5 percent of the national burden of disease in India.
Impact of open fires/chulhas on the environment
- Chulhas are a source of black carbon, which is being recognized as a significant contributor to global warming. Black carbon has been implicated in accelerating the melting of the Himalayan glaciers.
- Wood is the most commonly used solid fuel. The use of firewood results in significant pressure on local forests and woodlands, contributing to deforestation, soil erosion, and desertification.
- Globally, approximately one-third of net black carbon and carbon monoxide emissions come from household fuels.
Source – Medical News Today
