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Unbelievable but improved cookstoves are not helpful in reducing firewood demand in Nepal

2010; Cambridge University Press; Volume: 16; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1017/s1355770x10000409

1469-4395

Mani Nepal, Apsara Karki Nepal, Kristine Grimsrud,

Electric Vehicles and Infrastructure

ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the effect of different types of cookstoves on firewood demand at the household level. Using nationally representative household survey data from Nepal, we find that stove type significantly affects the firewood demand for household uses. Traditional mud-stove user households seem to use less firewood than the open-fire stove users. Surprisingly, households with the so-called ‘improved’ stoves seem to use more firewood than the households with mud stoves. Thus, converting traditional open-fire stoves to mud stoves may be a better conservation strategy in the short term rather than installing improved stoves, unless the technology improves. However, in the long run, making cleaner fuel more accessible to rural households is desirable to reduce indoor air pollution.