Creating markets for clean cooking in Lesotho and Southern Africa
Under contract to UNIDO, Eco has been working with Philips, the global appliance manufacturer, to prepare a project concept on “Manufacturing and value chain development of clean cook stoves in Lesotho & Southern Africa.
The Kingdom of Lesotho has a population of approximately 2 million inhabitants, about 40% of whom live below $1.25 a day, and 70% live in rural areas. Households mainly use wood fuel for cooking purposes, most often on (inefficient) open fires, that emit high levels of Greenhouse Gases (approximately 4 tonnes of CO2eq per year based just on ‘Kyoto gases’), and with significant negative health impacts. World Health Organisation data estimates 1.6 million deaths each year out of 3 billion users of inefficient stoves worldwide. In Lesotho, with a population of 2 million inhabitants (of which the vast majority use inefficient stoves), it is estimated that over 1000 people die each year due to inefficient stove use (either because of fires or smoke inhalation). With the full introduction of clean and safe stoves, between 250 and 1000 lives could be saved annually. This health benefit also has a very strong gender component to it – in that women are disproportionately affected by indoor smoke from inefficient stoves.
In addition to the climate change and health impacts, land degradation due to unsustainable biomass use is a major issue in Lesotho. In most places in Lesotho wood is being consumed more quickly than it is being replenished and the wood used for cooking in Lesotho is not sustainable. People have to spend more time collecting wood than previously (one study showing people require 3 times more in 2007 than in 2000), having to travel greater distances to collect wood (increasing from 3 to 5 km from 2005 to 2007), and prices increasing faster than inflation (130% from 1986 to 2007).
To address the lack of a sustainable market for clean wood-stoves in Lesotho, Eco worked with Philips to design a project strategy and proposal to address this issue. Our work has involved analysing the market needs, support to the development of a strategy, and communication of this strategy in language appropriate to the client and funder. While the project will aim to create the market for all highly efficient clean stoves, Philips is taking a leading role in pushing forward the market for high quality, efficient, clean, safe and reliable stoves for Southern Africa.
Contact us
If you are an established organisation working to develop sustainable energy projects in developing countries, contact Grant using our online form here.
Eco project number: 11-114