Go green, cook clean | Source/complete article: Dhaka Tribune, Jan 4, 2014
Faisal Mahmud writes about a cheaper alternative for fuel for the common household
Excerpts – Introducing the clean cookstove
The Power Division under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources has recently launched a Country Action Plan (CAP) for “clean” cooking solutions – meaning an alternative for the conventional cookstove that is cost-effective, safe and environment-friendly. The government aims to distribute these clean cookstoves among 50 lakh households throughout the country by 2017, and three crore by 2030, keeping people safe from potential health, fire and environment hazards.
The Washington-based Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC), Netherlands Development Organisation and German Development Cooperation are working with Bangladesh government to achieve the reach the households without government-supplied fuel connections, along with other development partners. GACC is also working with the Power Division to implement the CAP.
Why the initiative?
Power Division Secretary Monowar Islam said the age-old cooking practices in Bangladesh are prone to cause severe health hazards to the members of the households, especially the women, who breathe in the smoke which has a high content of pollutants.
A study conducted by GACC supports Monowar’s statement. According to that study, over 49,000 deaths are caused by household air pollution every year, with more than three crore families affected by it. Over 32,000 deaths are results of acute lower respiratory infections, and around 14,000 are the result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Women and children are the two groups most affected.
The study also states that an estimated 89% of the population uses solid fuels for cooking. The rapidly expanding population and heavy reliance on biomass have put pressure on the country’s limited forest resources, with 50% decrease in the forest area since 1970.
Al Mudaddir Din Anam, regional manager for GACC, said: “Fire wood is becoming increasingly scarce and more expensive, which has pushed many consumers towards other forms of fuel, such as crop residues, rice husk briquettes and cow dung.”
Anam also stated that about 10 lakh stoves are thought to be in use at present – a penetration of 3% – and the market for these stoves are not sustainable yet. However, he added: “Grameen Shakti and GIZ operate two of the largest improved cookstove programmes in the country and have projected further growth in the years to come.”
Ironically, anecdotal evidence suggests that many other stove producers are struggling with the low demand for the improved cookstoves, as not many people are aware of it.
The plan
Government representatives, NGOs, private sector enterprises and donors are working with GACC to develop a strategic action plan to catalyse the improved cookstoves and fuel market in Bangladesh. The CAP, mentioned earlier, is as follows:
- Facilitate access to testing services for Bangladeshi organisations GACC will work to build capacity in the regional testing centres by facilitating the exchange of information regarding the latest protocols, upgrading equipment, promoting best practices in testing and improving stoves, and helping to maintain quality and consistency across testing facilities.
- Expand distribution of quality cookstoves and fuels by leveraging current networks. GACC will broker partnerships between cookstove and fuel producers and a variety of distribution channels which are already in place in Bangladesh. These existing distribution channels can include MFIs, NGOs, SACCOs, retail chains and private sector companies with large, existing distribution networks that have a wide can go and reach the last mile.
- Support the Power Division to coordinate and implement the CAP. The Power Division is leading the coordination in Bangladesh, including tracking the progress of the CAP. GACC will assist the government in facilitating the clean cookstove and fuel programme coordination within the country and the implementation of any policy-related or government-relevant interventions outlined in the CAP.
- Broaden the available technology options that are locally developed. GACC will work with local and international partners to incentivise innovation of new technologies and work with international manufacturers to improve the design of their technologies to better meet consumer needs.
Source/complete article: Dhaka Tribune, Jan 4, 2014
