Tanzania – Cost saving ($410/household/year) and reducing deforestation through energy saving stoves, Kiroka village, Morogoro, 2014. FAO.
About 99% households (HHs) in Kiroka village depend for cooking on firewood, which is now becoming a scarce and expensive resource due to population growth, which has led to agricultural land expansion involving deforestation – and an increased need for firewood. These households still cook using the traditional three-stone open fire hearths, which require huge loads of firewood to function and are very inefficient – reportedly with a heat loss of more than 80%. Dependence on firewood marginalizes local women and girls in the community, as they are burdened with collecting or paying for expensive firewood and cooking over inefficient and smoky traditional stoves. By introducing energy saving stoves that efficiently burn wood, reduce heat wastage and amounts of smoke, the project is improving forest conservation, soil and water protection, women’s health and saving to families money they had needed to buy wood.
