ESMAP Joins UNâs Global Alliance for Clean Cook stoves

October 04 2010

The Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) has joined the new UN Global Alliance for Clean Cook stoves initiative to improve the lives of the 3 billion people who still rely on inefficient biomass stoves. Solid biomass fuel cook stoves are the most common method of cooking in low income countries. In general, the traditional cook stove (three stone) is no more than an open fire, which, as an open source of smoke, can cause indoor air pollution leading to health problems such as lung and eye ailments.

Replacing the traditional cook stove with an improved version, means more efficient, cleaner burning fuels, and venting the smoke out of the house through a chimney, can dramatically improve the lives of the families and have a positive impact on the environment and health.

Rohit Khanna, ESMAP’s Program Manager said, “ESMAP brings to this Global Alliance a wealth of experience and lessons learned in designing and promoting clean cook stoves in low income countries. In 2006-2009, we implemented an improved cook stove program in twelve countries in Asia, South America and Sub-Saharan Africa.” “In Cambodia for instance, ESMAP supported an energy efficient cook stove program which distributed over 8,000 improved cook stoves to households. The program also developed the Vattanack stove, a commercial stove specially designed and built to distill locally available materials -traditional palm sugar paste into granules, whilst saving 30 percent of energy used by the traditional stove,” Khanna said.

ESMAP worked with governments to empower Small Medium Enterprises (SME) to delivery decentralized energy services. The focus of ESMAP’s work was mainly on off-grid electrification and biomass use.

Similarly, ESMAP’s Energy Access for the Urban Poor program ((EAfUP) will benefit the Global Alliance through country specific scoping studies and pilot interventions. These findings will provide successful models that the Alliance can replicate in developing countries. In addition a prototype of a cook-stove will be designed by the School of Engineering in countries where the program is being implemented. The EAfUP is a partnership with the Cities Alliance global slum upgrade program to help the urban poor gain access to cleaner modern energy services.

The Global Alliance for Clean Cook stoves calls for 100 million homes to adopt clean and efficient stoves and fuels by 2020. The clean cook stove alliance supports large-scale adoption of clean and safe household cooking solutions as a way to save lives, improve livelihoods, and reduce climate change emissions. The Alliance will work with public, private, and non-profit partners to help overcome the market barriers that currently impede the production, deployment, and use of clean cook stoves in the developing world.

Related Improved Cook stove ESMAP Studies and articles

Cambodia ‘s Energy Efficient Cook Stove Program
ESMAP Report: Pilot Commercialization of Improved Cookstoves in Nicaragua 2005
ESMAP Report: Evaluation of Improved Stove Programs in Guatemala: Final Report of Project Case Studies 2004

News