Inventory of Innovative Indoor Air Pollution Alleviating Technologies in Nepal
Inventory of Innovative Indoor Air Pollution Alleviating Technologies in Nepal
This illustrated report is a compilation of information on innovative Indoor Air Pollution (IAP) alleviating technologies that are being promoted in Nepal - a range of cooking stoves, briquetting technology, smokehoods, biogas technology, solar & electric cooking technology. It ends with conclusions & recommendations, plus annexes of further contacts.
Indoor Air Pollution results from household cooking and heating when low quality solid fuels is used in poorly ventilated kitchens. IAP can be generated from different sources besides solid fuel burning. IAP is responsible for an array of respiratory related diseases. In developing countries, IAP is the fourth leading cause of death and was responsible for the deaths of over 1.5 million people in 2002, predominately women and children (WHO 2006). IAP is a major environmental health concern in Nepal as 85 per cent of HHs still depend on solid biomass fuels for cooking and heating. In 2002, IAP was responsible for the death of 7,500 people in Nepal (WHO 2007).
Current energy use and availability trend in Nepal indicates that use of solid fuel will continue to dominate for the next several years. There are various successful and innovative technologies promoted in Nepal to reduce indoor smoke generated from the solid fuel burning. However, due to lack of adequate information, demand for such technologies/products is very low. Nepal has diverse cooking practices hence different types of technologies are required to eliminate IAP in Nepal. Experience shows that the success of technologies depends on various aspects - availability and price of fuels, socio-cultural, ethnic values and practices, geographic and climatic conditions, cooking behaviours and practices, size/design of kitchen, economic status etc.
This report is a compilation of information on innovative IAP alleviating technologies that is promoted in Nepal. We hope that this report will serve as an important reference for practitioners, researchers, academicians, private promoters and consumers to access general information on various kinds of innovative technologies that significantly reduces IAP with easily available resources in Nepal's local markets. This report can be used by the readers to facilitate their decision making on appropriate choice of technology suitable for their own use or for further dissemination. It is also expected to help reduce duplication and assist the planners and decision makers to plan for new innovations in the future. However, this reference material is not sufficient to design a stove or manufacturing guidelines.
