Household Air Pollution

USAID|TRAction aims to better understand the barriers and motivators to sustained adoption of clean cooking technologies. The research is intended to identify key determinants influencing the sustained correct, consistent, and exclusive use of clean cooking technologies in order to inform future implementation efforts.More than 3 billion people cook their food using solid fuels such as wood, coal, dung, charcoal, and crop residues. The harmful emissions released from the incomplete combustion of solid fuels lead to high levels of household air pollution (HAP), which has been ranked as the third leading risk factor for morbidity and mortality in the 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study. Additionally, the burning of solid fuels increases greenhouse gas emissions, which are a major driver of global climate change.

Key Results

Coming Soon

Our Partners

Berkeley Air Monitoring Group (BA)
Central Himalayan Rural Action Group (Chirag), India
Centre for Integrated Research and Community Development (CIRCODU), Uganda
Columbia University
Duke University
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), India
Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves
Global Village Energy Partnership (EGVEP), Uganda
Health Builders/Access Project-Rwanda
Impact Carbon
Joint Energy and Environment Programme (JEEP), Uganda
Kintampo Health Research Centre
Nexleaf Analytics, Los Angeles, CA
PATH
Scripps Institute of Oceanography, San Diego, CA
Universidad del Valle de Guatemala
University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business
University of California, San Francisco
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Carolina Population Center,

Events

Publications Featuring TRAction Research

Collaborative Efforts

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Adoption of Gasifier Stoves in Rwanda

Evaluating Sustained Adoption of Biomass Pellet Stoves in Rwanda

UNC and partner Health Builders/Access Project will evaluate the adoption of biomass pellet cookstoves distributed by Inyenyeri, a Rwanda-based company that leases stoves to interested households and sells biomass fuel pellets to these households. The goal of this research is to assess the determinants of sustained adoption, the impact of the Inyenyeri business model on adoption, and resultant changes in household air pollution levels.

Adoption of LPG stoves in Guatemala

Evaulating Sustained Adoption of LPG stoves in Guatemala

University of California, San Francisco and partner Universidad del Valle de Guatemala will conduct research in peri-urban Guatemala. The research will focus on liquid petroleum gas (LPG) stoves distributed by GenteGas, a Guatemalan social enterprise that trains women to sell LPG stoves and provide educational outreach. The goal of this research is to evaluate household air pollution awareness and behavior change as a result of GenteGas educational campaigns, as well as to assess sustained adoption of LPG stoves

Adoption of LPG stoves in Rural Ghana

Evaluating Sustained Adoption of LPG Stoves in Rural Ghana

Kintampo Health Research Center, along with partners from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, will assess the adoption of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) stoves distributed by Ghana's Rural LPG Program, which promotes LPG use in rural Ghana. The collaborating institutions will evaluate characteristics of households that may predict LPG use, as well as facilitators and barriers to sustained use of LPG and the adoption of clean cooking technologies.

Improved Cookstove Adoption: India

Indian woman with improved cookstove, TRAction

Strategies for Improved Cookstove Adoption in India

Duke University conducted research on behavior change communication (BCC) strategies to improve the purchase and correct use of improved cookstoves in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, India. Duke is aligning their efforts with Project Surya, which is working to increase dissemination and use of cleaner-burning cooking technologies in India. After conducting preparatory work to understand the local context, Duke will design, implement, and evaluate the impact of BCC interventions on cookstove purchase and correct use. The study will take into account contextual factors, cost, and reliability of data collection methods.

Improved Cookstove Adoption: Rural Uganda

Ugandan woman with improved cookstove, Impact Carbon

Strategies for Improved Cookstove Adoption in Rural Uganda

Impact Carbon conducted research on expanding the Uganda Efficient Stove Project, which has commercially sold thousands of improved charcoal stoves in Uganda. The study is testing behavior change communication (BCC) strategies to increase the purchase and use of improved, clean-burning wood stoves in regions of Uganda where wood, not charcoal, is the primary fuel.

Improved Cookstove Adoption: Urban Uganda

Ugandan woman performing cooking demonstration, Impact Carbon

Strategies for Improved Cookstove Adoption in Urban Uganda

PATH completed research in peri-urban parishes of Kampala, Uganda on behavior change communication (BCC) strategies to improve the purchase and correct use of improved cookstoves. PATH aligned their efforts with the World Bank-funded Biomass Energy Initiative for Africa (BEIA) project, which helps stove programs scale-up their operations and achieve economic viability. PATH’s research on effective BCC strategies will facilitate BEIA’s efforts to establish local production and dissemination of an efficient, low-emission, relatively low-cost Top-Lit UpDraft (TLUD) gasifier stove.