Clean Cooking and Livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa

A comparative assessment of environmental impacts of production, use, and disposal of a parabolic solar cooker and charcoal for cooking in Uganda
Justus Asasira*, Tine Compernolle, Caesar Rowland Apentiik , Tom Ogwang, Maarten Vanierschot, Hanie Zarafshani, Jo Van Caneghem
Mbarara University of Science & Technology
KU Leuven
University of Antwerp
Solar cookers can substantially reduce reliance on charcoal, yet the comparative life-cycle impacts of a solar cooker with thermal energy storage (TES) versus charcoal cooking have not been quantified. We conducted an attributional life-cycle assessment (LCA) for Mbarara City, Uganda, using ecoinvent v3.10 and Environmental Footprint 3.0. The functional unit is cooking two meals per day over 10 years for a typical household (3–6 people). Three scenarios capture different charcoal consumption levels. The solar system comprises a parabolic dish with aluminium components, a vegetable-oil TES, and end-of-life (EoL) treatment. Across scenarios, solar cooking markedly lowers impacts: for most categories, burdens are ~8–9× lower than charcoal. Weighted single-score results range from 141.5–302.9 points for charcoal and 64.4–82.3 points for the solar cooker (ratio ~2.2–3.7). The most influential categories are climate change, human toxicity (non-cancer), photochemical ozone formation, and water scarcity—each lower for solar. In contribution analysis, freshwater ecotoxicity accounts for >67% of the solar cooker’s weighted score, whereas climate change contributes >45% of the charcoal model. This study extends prior work by assessing a broad set of midpoint indicators and identifying five priority categories, four of which favour solar over charcoal. Overall, the parabolic solar cooker exhibits the lowest life-cycle impacts across categories and scenarios. Results are generalizable to regions with similar climatic, production, and distribution conditions; areas with >325 sunny days per year are likely to achieve even lower solar-cooking impacts. We recommend expanding ecoinvent coverage for Africa (particularly East Africa and tropical regions) to improve modelling accuracy.

Fuelwood use and carbon emission reduction of improved biomass cookstoves in Tigray, Ethiopia
Abstract

In Ethiopia, biomass contributes to about 92% of household fuel consumption. As a result, deforestation rates have alarmingly increased, associated with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and land degradation. Government agencies have made concerted efforts to reverse this situation through the promotion of improved cookstoves (ICS). However, the performance of these technologies in terms of saving fuelwood and their contribution to CO₂ emission reduction in real kitchen settings had not been studied systematically. This research was initiated to address this knowledge gap. The study was conducted in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia. Households were selected following cross-sectional and longitudinal study designs. A kitchen performance test (KPT) was carried out based on three days of repeated fuelwood use measurements to compare the wood-saving performance of ICS against traditional cookstoves (TCS). Emission reduction potential was calculated using Clean Development Mechanism and UNFCCC methodologies and presented in CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e). Significant differences were found in total and per capita wood consumption (p < 0.05) between improved and traditional stoves. The Mirt stove reduced household wood consumption by 35%, and the Tikkil stove by 18%, compared with traditional stoves. ICS also reduced CO₂e emissions per stove per year by 0.65 and 0.27 tons, respectively. The shift from TCS to ICS significantly reduces fuelwood use and per-capita carbon emissions, playing a crucial role in reducing forest degradation and ecosystem loss. Policies aimed at reducing GHG emissions in developing countries at the household level should prioritise the promotion of ICS.
Authors and affiliations:
Ashenafi Manaye¹, Selemawit Amaha², Yirga Gufi¹, Berihu Tesfamariam³, Adefires Worku³, Haftu Abrha⁴
¹ Tigray Institute of Policy Studies, Mekelle, Ethiopia
² Ministry of Water and Energy
³Ethiopian Forest Development , Ethiopia
⁴ Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia

Compounding impacts of prolonged drought and the Russian-Ukrainian war on food security and cleaner cooking fuel use in Nairobi, Kenya in 2022
Matthew Shupler1, James Mwitari2, Mark O’Keefe3, Federico Lorenzetti1, Willah Nabukwangwa2, Arthur Gohole2, Tash Perros1, Emily Nix1, Elisa Puzzolo1, Daniel Pope1, Helen Hoka Osiolo4

1. University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
2. Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
3. PayGo Energy Ltd., Nairobi, Kenya
4. University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

In 2022, the Russian-Ukrainian war onset increased global fuel and food prices and a drought in Kenya reached peak severity. We quantified the impacts of these climatic and energy-related shocks on energy/food security in an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. We leveraged real-time smart meter data and administered surveys from September-October 2022 to 701 pay-as-you-go liquefied petroleum gas (PAYG LPG) customers. Using mixed effects log-linear regression, we compared PAYG LPG consumption behaviors before (July-October 2021) and during a >15% inflationary food price period (July-October 2022). We found that 74% (n=520) of participants reported changing the foods they cooked, skipping more meals, and/or reducing PAYG LPG consumption between 2021 and 2022. Between 2021 and 2022, PAYG LPG prices increased by 16% (214 Kenyan shilling (KES)/kg ($1.53USD/kg) to 249 KES/kg ($1.78USD/kg). During the same period, customers decreased their PAYG LPG use from an average of 12.8 to 8.3 hours/month and lowered usage from an average of 19 to 8 days/month. Households also decreased their monthly LPG spending by an average of 86 KES/month between July-October 2021 and 2022. The multivariable modeling revealed that married couples, with the female in her twenties and employed in the informal sector with a household income of 136-232 USD/month decreased their average PAYG LPG consumption from 1.47 (95% CI: 0.87-2.49) to 1.01 kg/capita/month (95% CI: 0.60-1.70) between July-October 2021 and 2022. Prolonged drought and overseas conflict in 2022 led to substantial declines in food and energy security in Nairobi, Kenya.

Evaluating the Environmental and Economic Impacts of Shifting from Traditional Fuelwood toElectric Stoves in Rural Ngororero District, Rwanda.

1. Placide Bienaimé Hashimwimana
   University of Lay Adventists of Kigali (UNILAK), Albertine Rift Conservation Society
   (ARCOS)E-mail: placidebien@gmail.com
2. Marcel Bahizi
   Independent University of Kigali (ULK), University of Rwanda (UR), University of Lay Adventists
   of Kigali (UNILAK)
   E-mail: bahimarce@yahoo.fr
3. Eric Sibomana
   East African University Rwanda (EAUR), University of Lay Adventists of Kigali (UNILAK)
   E-mail: ericsibo100@gmail.com
4. Godfrey Musafiri
   University of Lay Adventists of Kigali (UNILAK), Rwanda Water Resources Board (RWB)
   E-mail: godnnyho@gmail.com

Abstract

Traditional cooking methods using open fires and inefficient biomass stoves pose serious health, environmental, and economic risks in developing countries. This study evaluates the environmental and economic impacts of shifting from traditional fuelwood to electric stoves in rural Ngororero District, Rwanda, using a cross-sectional quantitative design. Data were gathered from 385 systematically selected households via structured questionnaires, complemented by expert interviews from government, energy institutions, and academia to refine valuation parameters for cost-benefit analysis. Secondary data from official reports and literature supported the findings. Statistical tests assessed cost differences between cooking methods. Results showed that fuelwood use leads to high recurring costs and health impacts, while electric stoves offer long-term savings and health improvements despite initial barriers. The analysis confirms the economic and environmental viability of adopting electric stoves. The study recommends enhancing rural electrification, subsidizing stove adoption, and promoting awareness to support clean energy transitions in rural regions.