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In many developing countries, fuelwood can contribute to 50–90% of all household energy, largely driven by the 2.6 billion people dependent on it to meet their daily household cooking energy requirements. This dependency can negatively impact forest stocks and climate change.
Both a transition to cleaner cooking and sustainable management of forest resources to ensure long-term supply are essential for dependent communities.
Photo: Alexander Schimmeck / Unsplash.
The specific effects of a cooking transition on fuelwood extraction from forests versus other sources has been lacking in prior studies.
Researchers fill this gap by identifying household fuelwood consumption behavior change (farm versus forest sources) due to clean cooking solutions implemented in two districts in rural India – Kullu (Himachal Pradesh) in northern India and Koppal (Karnataka) in southern India.
This is the first intervention study known by the researchers that identifies fuelwood collection sources based on the species used by households. The authors conducted in-depth household surveys and physically measured household fuelwood consumption by source (forest or farm).
Results indicate that households in Kullu reduced forest dependence, while households in Koppal reduced farm dependence due to clean cooking solutions. The survey shows that a reduction of forest extraction is depends on a combination of demand (e.g., cooking versus heating), substitutability of forest resources with farm resources (i.e., quality and availability), and the socio-economic characteristics (i.e., caste, wealth) of the household.
Project / This project examines the potential of a dual-pronged approach to developing technical and social alternatives to charcoal in Zambia.
Initiative / This initiative aims to guide decision-makers towards more cohesive and constructive governance of bioeconomy pathways, with a focus on the Global South.
Feature / Almost one-third of the world’s population has no access to clean energy for cooking. SEI scientists hope to help tackle the problem with better policies.
Journal article / This article explores the use of bioenergy in climate change mitigation efforts and summarizes the state of knowledge concerning potential costs and benefits.
Journal article / Researchers measure the effectiveness of a grass-roots campaign in Western Kenya to increase cooking with rock-beds for open fires and simple woodstoves.
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