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Technical Briefs and Manuals: English
Introduction Every home in every country in the world uses some form of cooking equipment. Some people cook with electricity, while others use gas or kerosene. However, in about half of the world's homes, people use biomass fuels such as charcoal, wood, animal dung and agricultural waste such as maize cobs, coffee husks, crushed sugarcane stocks and rice husks.
During the 1970s and early 1980s it was assumed that use of these fuels was the main cause of the deforestation that threatened large areas of Africa, Asia and South America. As a result, many governments and development agencies introduced improved cooking stoves which burnt fuel more efficiently. They believed that the improved stoves w6uld help to slow down the rate of deforestation.
It has, however, become clear that deforestation is mainly caused by other factors, such as clearing land for agriculture and timber extraction, rather than by fuel collection. Thus, people who rely on biomass fuels are actually the victims of deforestation rather than the offenders. It has also become obvious that improved stoves can bring other "hidden" benefits, which justify their continued promotion.
Collecting fuel is hard work and takes up a lot of time. It is usually the responsibility of women and children. A woman spends many hours every week walking to collect fuelwood, and carrying it back home on her head; any reduction in the amount of fuel she needs will allow her to save valuable time and effort. In cases where fuel is purchased (notably in urban areas, where charcoal is commonly used), improved stoves can lead to cash savings. In some cases, women may choose to use the same amount of fuel as before, but are able to do more with it; they can cook more frequently, or boil water for drinking. Biomass fuels also give off smoke which can cause both respiratory and eye infections. Improved stoves bum the fuel more efficiently and so reduce the amount of smoke to which cooks are exposed.
As a result, improved stoves are now promoted as a means of improving the quality of life for poor households which rely on biomass as their main source of fuel rather than as a solution to the problem of deforestation.
One type of improved stove - the Upesi (also known as the Maendeleo) - has met with great success in Kenya. There have been many enquiries about the stove from other countries, particularly in East Africa. This book, which will help to answer many of those enquiries, provides a step-by-step guide on the production of the Upesi. It touches briefly on other aspects of stove production such as firing methods and marketing, and provides details of where to obtain further information.
It is important to note that the Upesi stove is not necessarily suitable for use throughout Africa. Local needs vary according to local circumstances: environment, culture and cooking methods all play a part in determining the most appropriate type of stove. However, the book will help project workers to decide if the Upesi is the most appropriate.
The Upesi Stove The Upesi stove is a simple pottery cylinder (known as the liner) which is built into a mud surround in the kitchen. It is designed to bum wood, although it can also bum crop waste such as maize stalks and cobs, and animal dung. Fuel is fed into the fire through an opening at the front of the stove. The stove does not have a chimney, but produces less smoke than an open fire. This is because it bums fuel more efficiently.
The Upesi is designed for one pot, but two or more stoves can be installed side by side so that the cook can use more than one pot. The stove's three strong pot rests can support a range of commonly used pots, with round and flat bottoms. However, it is unsuitable for very small pots, or very wide ones such as the Ethiopian mtad.
This series of booklets based on the experience in East Africa includes: * People Approach: A Guide to Participatory Household Energy Needs Assessment * Appropriate Household Energy Technology Development: Training Manual * How to Build and Use a Better Bonfire Kiln * Appropriate Mud Stoves in East Africa
Practical Actiion The Schumacher Centre for Technology and Development Bourton-on-Dunsmore Rugby, Warwickshire, CV23 9QZ United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1926 634400 Fax: +44 (0)1926 634401 E-mail: info@practicalaction.org.uk Website: http://www.practicalaction.org/
Practical Action East Africa P O Box 39493 Nairobi Kenya Tel: +254 (0)20 719313, 715293, 719413 Fax: +254 (0)20 710083 E-mail: kenya@practicalaction.or.ke
by Vivienne Abbott, Clare Heyting & Rose Akinyi for Practical Action East Africa, 1995.
This article was added to our catalogue on Thursday 17 April, 2008.
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