Preparation of Baseline for Improved Cooking Stoves (ICS) Programme in Hilly Districts of Far Western Development Region

Completed Projects

Improved Cooking Stoves (ICS) are instrumental in saving fuelwood energy. Traditional cooking practices using a range of inefficient stoves have put extensive pressure on the conventional energy sources. Fuel wood from forest and other vegetated area, agricultural residues and animal dung comprise the traditional energy resources in Nepal. There is a high tendency towards the use of traditional energy resources in Nepal.

FWDR remains the poorest part of the country despite the developmental efforts in the region. Implementation of ICS program in this region is likely to contribute directly to at least health component of HDI. Besides, reduction in drudgery will be helpful for people to explore additional measures to attain economic security.

Objectives

The study was designed to meet the two specific objectives:

• Identification of the existing ICS in use and problems or issues associated with it, replacement
  potential of ICS against the existing stoves, issues associated with firewood availability and
  collection
• Identification of trends of changes in firewood availability and collection in qualitative and
  quantitative terms.

Services provided by SW Nepal

In undertaking this assignment, SW Nepal carried out two key activities: i) household level survey and ii) institutional assessment. A total of 152 households survey was conducted in 7 districts with equal proportion of user and non-user households while the institutional capacity assessment focused on district headquarters of the study districts and market centres in Terai. The study resulted in a situation analysis of existing use of cooking fuel and fuel mix, and cooking practices in FWDR and capacity assessment of the local and regional actors (GOs, NGOs, CBOs and private sector) active in ICS related services.