Households in the project area use a traditional three-stone fireplace for cooking and thereby burn large amounts of fuel wood in a very inefficient way, which has a decisive impact on deforestation in the region. The efficient cook stoves are constructed using local materials and reduce firewood consumption by approximately 40-50 per cent, thus also reducing the burden of firewood collection and relieving the household’s budget for fuel purchase. Moreover, through the cleaner and more efficient combustion, harmful smoke emissions are reduced and indoor air quality is considerably improved.
