The Quest for Sustainability: Profiles of Asian Improved Cookstove Programs

The Quest for Sustainability: Profiles of Asian Improved Cookstove Programs

Numerous improved cookstove programs (ICSP’s) have been implemented in Asia with various objectives; ranging from fuel conservation; to lessening the burden of household energy related chores and improvement of women’s lives; right to recent improved cookstove programs that put greater emphasis on public health improvement through better indoor air quality.  

Regardless of the wide-ranging objectives of various ICSP’s, strategy for the diffusion of improved cookstoves (ICS) will be the primary concern of any programs - where it is understood that sustainable diffusion equates sustainable delivery of the intended beneficial impacts. In an ideal situation, besides identifying demands and needs and motivating target beneficiaries to adopt ICS, programs will also be primarily concerned with the creation of a variety of infrastructures and services that will sustain delivery of the beneficial impacts beyond the intervention period. The above assumes that sufficient number in the target area will adopt ICS, for a significant duration - whereby sufficient impacts result, to achieve the desired program’s objective/s. Besides ICSPs’ important concern with regards to sustainable ICS diffusion, ICSPs’ as a community development program need also to consider how program and their longer term beneficial impacts are made equitably accessible to all economic and social classes/groups, specifically marginal sections, in the target community.

Conventionally, ICSP’s have been classified as “subsidized”, “commercialized” and “partly subsidized”. The above classifications provide a simple framework for analyzing ICSP’s strategies and consequently how strategies anticipate sustainability.

Subsidized approach refers to programs that are giving away free stoves to target beneficiaries without specific allocation of program resources being put into the creation of services and infrastructure for longer term (after program ends) ICS diffusion OR when consideration for longer term diffusion is somehow not the focus of the program. In subsidized approach, accessibility of stoves to poor groups maybe high, though ICS diffusion is unlikely to be sustained.

While commercial approach refers to programs that are being designed to introduce ICS as a commercial product – where ICS diffusion will continue in the longer term assuming that demand in quantity and cost paid by ICS consumers sustain adequate profits for those involved in the production and distribution of ICS. The commercial approach is often identified with mass produced stoves and the use of commercial distribution channel; although services for building stoves could also be and have been commercialized. Commercial approach has the highest chance of being sustainable, though some marginal groups in the target community may not gain access to the stoves.

“Partly subsidized” commonly refers to diffusion of owner built stoves, where it is assumed that since the technology require only minimal and easily accessible inputs (stove construction skills, local materials and stove parts), ICS diffusion will be easily sustained after program ends. “Partly subsidized” could also be a reference made to programs that make various investments that do not directly subsidize the cost of ICS paid by users (e.g. investments made in enhancing stove distribution, in stove promotion, etc). While there are also programs that distribute stove commercially at subsidized prices, in the hope of securing initial high demand of ICS. Through subsidizing the prices of ICS, programs assume that adequate niche market of convinced ICS users will eventually be created in the later period, when real price of ICS is introduced.   

While in the past, many programs are implemented using the subsidized approach and had little idea on the issue of sustainability, most programs in the recent times and at the present have been investing in the building of sustainability through activities that facilitate the creation of services and infrastructures for longer term ICS diffusion. On the other hand, the present condition does not imply that problems surrounding the issue of sustainability have gone. Although there have been achievements made by numerous programs in the recent past, these have been exceptions. In fact, overall ICSP’s in Asia, still reflect on the limited adoption and low level of sustainability in the adoption of improved cookstoves. These in turn affected the limited achievement of ICSP’s objectives.

Low rate of ICS adoption and low sustainability of impacts delivered by programs, have been contributed to a range of factors, from technical problems, to programs’ failure to appropriately address the socio-cultural and economic needs of target beneficiaries. While it has to be acknowledged that various other aspects affecting sustainability are often beyond the control of most programs[1]. Earlier programs were considered to emphasize intervention on technical aspects - neglecting social and cultural aspects. These lack of socio- cultural considerations have been repeatedly pointed out with regards to the lack of involvement of women and poor who were the main target beneficiaries of the program. Other aspects, often overlooked by programs, are, the building of adequate capacities, services and infrastructures and active participation of stakeholders necessary to sustain improved stove diffusion. All of the above deficiencies have led to one or more of these consequences - neglect of target beneficiaries’ needs; users’ low motivation to adopt ICS; low quality and unreliable (and even absence of) delivery of ICS related services and products, when intervention ends.

There remain great challenges for programs to be able to deliver sustainable impacts that are also equitably accessible to all sections of the community. These are challenges that require ICSP’s to innovate on various aspects of program delivery, at the strategic as well as at the implementation levels. 

CASE STUDIES DOCUMENTATION (SUSTAINABILITY: PROFILES OF ASIAN IMPROVED COOKSTOVE PROGRAMS)

To realize the potential for exchange and learning among ICSP’s stakeholders on program strategies for sustainability, an initiative has been taken by Asia Regional Cookstove Program to compile case studies of innovative ICSP’s in Asia. There are numerous innovative ideas that have been implemented on ICSP’s to enhance the prospect of sustainability, such as, creating effective system of production and/or distribution, linking of programs to other relevant community development programs, innovative approach in building partnership among the various stakeholders (community, private enterprise, government/local institutions), innovative community approach to enhance participation, creative use of existing community/local institutions, etc.  

The documentation of cases aims to provide ideas as well as practical knowledge on innovative program strategies and implementation.  It is hoped that such documentation could facilitate exchange of information and ideas and bridge the knowledge gaps, specifically in Asia. Further, an exchange is hoped to improve on going as well as future ICSP’s, through adoption and adaptation of ideas from the documented cases. 

Objectives

1.      Various ICS program dissemination strategy are documented in the form of case studies that can be used as a reference by other organizations, institutions or individuals who want to start improved cookstove programs or to improve their improve cookstove programs

2.      Encourage the adoption of more effective approach in  ICSP

3.      Adoption rate of ICS is improved

Cases to be published will provide in depth discussions on how programs have facilitated/created conditions toward sustainable diffusion of ICS. The documented cases will provide clear description on key aspects of program strategies and step by step description on the process of program implementation. A detailed outline of a case study intended for the documentation is given in a separate document.

For further information contact : ARECOP Secretariat

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