Which Type of Stove is Best? An Environmental Impact Assessment from Nepal

This study investigates whether the type of cook stove a household uses has an impact on its level of firewood use. Not surprisingly, the study finds that households with traditional mud stoves use less firewood than those that use a traditional open-fire stove. More unexpectedly, the study finds that households that use so called ‘improved’ stoves seem to use more firewood than those with mud stoves. Thus, when it comes to cooking stove technology, converting traditional open-fire stoves to mud stoves may be the best short-term strategy from a conservation point of view. However, in the long run, the study recommends that making cleaner fuel more accessible to rural households should be made a government priority. [Policy Brief No. 47-10] URL: [http://www.sandeeonline.org/uploads/documents/publication/904_PUB_Policy_Brief_46_Mani.pdf]