Barriers to the Adoption of Improved Cooking Stoves for Rural Resilience and Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in Kenya

Abstract

Majority of Kenya’s citizens reside in the rural areas where wood fuel is still the primary source of energy for cooking. Continuing reliance on wood fuel against the backdrop of burgeoning population poses huge threats to the country’s forest cover, undermining capacity for climate change mitigation and adaptation. This study conducted in Machakos and Laikipia counties explored; (i) women’s perceptions of the health risks associated with dependence of firewood for cooking, (ii) women’s attitudes and perceptions towards improved cooking charcoal stoves (ICS) as cleaner alternatives to traditional firewood stoves for cooking, and (iii) women’s perceptions of barriers to adoption of improved cooking stoves. Study findings revealed that women were aware of the health risks associated with the use of firewood for cooking. However, despite these perceptions, upward trends in demands for firewood as a source of energy for cooking in the rural areas may persist in the next coming decades. Barriers to adoption of improved cooking stoves vary by sociocultural contexts. The study concludes that innovations that involve stakeholders especially participatory designs, monitoring, and evaluation of ICS might improve adoption levels. Moreover, innovations to increase adoption need to leverage on the opportunities provided by Sustainable development goal number 7 to accelerate adoption of ICS among other forms of cleaner, affordable, and sustainable sources of energy for cooking.

Health risk perceptions of household air pollution and perceived benefits of improved stoves among pregnant women in rural Ethiopia: a mixed method study

“…80 Study participants in Kenya mentioned chest pain, sneezing, irritating eyes, breathing problems and congestion of the throat as health problems mainly due to HAP exposure. 81 One possible explanation for the relatively high level of health risk perception of HAP observed is that women are more concerned about indoor air pollution than men due to the social dimensions of women's roles as also evidenced from other studies. [82][83][84][85] Although we only studied women, the literature showed that gender is a dominant factor in the perceived risk as stated in similar findings from women in Finland and Estonia which confirmed women perceive general risks from wood smoke higher than men.…”

“…Similarly, a study in Rwanda showed that almost all of the respondents reported being concerned for their and their family’s health associated with HAP 80. Study participants in Kenya mentioned chest pain, sneezing, irritating eyes, breathing problems and congestion of the throat as health problems mainly due to HAP exposure 81…”

Prevalence and factors associated with undernutrition among children under the age of five years in Benin

“…On the other hand, Unimproved cooking fuels consisted of unconventional and less efficient options that may pose higher health risks. Examples include solid fuels such as firewood, coal, charcoal, agricultural residues, and traditional biomass [27,28]. Furthermore, access to electricity was considered as a potential determinant of undernutrition.…”

A review on household air pollution and biomass use over Kenya

“…According to Nzengya et al (2021), the low uptake of stoves in Machakos and Laikipia counties is a result of the high cost, design of the stove, and challenges in lighting the stove. The high cost of stoves and barriers to access to finance was also pointed out by Stevens et al (2020), not only in Kenya but also in Uganda and Tanzania.…”