home smoke practical action's work

Smoke - what can be done?

Practical Action's work

Smoke in the home from cooking on wood, dung and crop waste kills nearly one million children a year.

The scale of the problem is immense. However, there are solutions - and they need not cost the earth. Practical Action has worked with communities in Kenya, Sudan and Nepal to develop improved stoves, smoke hoods, chimneys and improved ventilation.

You can read about our work in these countries, and see how simple technology - affordable, accessible and appropriate - can make a real difference to people's lives.

Smoke and health in Kenya Smoke and health in Kenya
In the Kajiado region of Kenya, Practical Action has been working with Maasai women to develop a simple smoke hood, which has reduced smoke levels by up to 80%.
Smoke and health in Sudan Smoke and health in Sudan
In Kassala, eastern Sudan, a Practical Action project is working with households to develop solutions to indoor air pollution, including a switch to LPG.
Smoke and health in Nepal Smoke and health in Nepal
In Nepal Practical Action has been working with the community to develop improvements in home insulation and stove design to reduce fuel use.

Smoke, health and household energy

Volume 1: Participatory methods for design, installation, monitoring and assessment of smoke alleviation technologies
Volume 2: Researching pathways to scaling up sustainable and effective kitchen smoke alleviation

These publications describe a UK-Government funded research project done by Practical Action in three very different communities. The project has worked with around 30 households in each country, comprising:

  • a peri-urban district in Kenya
  • a village community in a high cold region in Nepal
  • a community of displaced persons around Kassala in Sudan.

The two books tell the story of how the project is working with communities and what it has achieved.

Read summary and download publication ...
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