Household cooking fuel use patterns and determinants across southern Africa: Evidence from the demographic and health survey data

Abstract

Improving access to modern energy sources is critical to enhancing the quality of life of many people in developing countries. In southern Africa, the majority of rural and poor urban households are dependent on solid fuels to meet their cooking needs. To date, there is scarce information in the literature on household cooking fuel patterns across southern Africa. Using household fuel data from the Demographic and Health Survey, this study investigated cooking fuel types and the determinants of their choice by households in selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The data on household cooking energy were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics. Results show that 25% of sampled households in all seven countries have access to electricity, while 66% rely on biomass for cooking. Chi-Square analyses revealed a statistically significant relationship between place of residence and type of cooking fuel, and between access to electricity and type of cooking fuel. Results from multiple regression analysis showed that socio-demographic factors such as access to electricity, household size, the level of education and wealth index have a positive influence on the type of cooking fuel used in this region. However, access to electricity does not imply that households will negate the use of traditional fuels. These results have implications for household air pollution, health, policy and environmental sustainability. It is recommended that energy interventions in this region need to consider demand

Household Determinants of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) as a Cooking Fuel in SW Cameroon

“…In both rural and peri-urban homes, level of education was independently associated with use of LPG with a ‘dose–response’ relationship between increasing level of education and an increasing likelihood to use any LPG (rural and peri-urban) and an exclusive LPG (peri-urban). The importance of education in the transition to modern and cleaner cooking fuels is well documented (Makonese et al 2017; Mekonnen and Kohlin 2008; Nlom and Karimov 2015). In their analysis of determinants of household cooking fuels across Southern Africa, Makonese et al (2017) found education to be an important predictor of type of primary cooking fuel in Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.…”

“…The importance of education in the transition to modern and cleaner cooking fuels is well documented (Makonese et al 2017; Mekonnen and Kohlin 2008; Nlom and Karimov 2015). In their analysis of determinants of household cooking fuels across Southern Africa, Makonese et al (2017) found education to be an important predictor of type of primary cooking fuel in Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Education is important in promoting the benefits of clean energy, clean fuels and the health implications of using traditional fuels for cooking, and the authors suggest that better education for household heads, promotion of efforts to specifically target less educated populations and tailoring educational materials appropriately would create a shift reducing the chances of choosing traditional fuels over modern cleaner options such as LPG and electricity.…”

“…For the peri-urban community, access to sanitation, a higher household income, being paid exclusively in cash and asset ownership of a television were all independently associated with LPG use (although only being paid exclusively in cash as an indicator of wealth was independently associated with exclusive use). Wealth and income have been identified as among the most important predictors of use of clean fuels for cooking in Southern Africa (Makonese et al 2017), Cameroon (Nlom and Karimov 2015), Nigeria (Desalu et al 2012) and Ethiopia (Gebreegziabher et al 2012). Whilst availability of finance is clearly related to the ability to purchase the equipment needed to adopt LPG as a clean domestic fuel, it is also important in sustaining its use through the purchase of repeat refills to meet routine cooking requirements.…”

An overview of salient factors, relationships and values to support integrated energy-economic systems dynamic modeling

“…An analysis of energy efficiencies, costs and factors is important in the southern African context. For example, 66% of households in southern Africa depend on cheap fuel sources such as fuelwood (Makonese et al, 2018). Although electrification has increased, most households cannot afford the appliances or the monthly electricity costs and continue to use cheaper fuels (Davis, 1998;Howells et al, 2005).…”

Household Fuel Transition and Determinants of Firewood Demand in Nepal

“…There is an emerging challenge of providing cleaner fuel to household to avoid various health risks arising from the use of traditional non-cleaner fuel and to cope with the challenges created by climate change (WHO, 2018).Household fuel choices are determined by a wide range of socio-economic factors (Lusambo, 2016;Giri & Goswami, 2018;Makonese et al, 2018;Rathore & Chauhan, 2018). There is a growing interest on cleaner and convenient fuels against traditional fuels such as biomass that is primarily dominated by firewood.…”