Rings of Fire: Assessing the Use of Efficient Cook Stoves in Rural Guatemala
Abstract
More than half of the world’s population still depends on open-fires for cooking,
causing an alarming array of health and environmental concerns. Over the past few
decades, many efforts have been made around the world to substitute open fires with
improved cook stoves (ICSs), which reduce both smoke and wood consumption. However,
these efforts have turned out mixed results. In Guatemala, an NGO called HELPS International
has been distributing a specific type of improved cook stove, the ONIL Stove, for
more than 11 years. The objectives of my study are threefold: 1) to measure the level
of ONIL stove utilization, 2) to explain the differences in usage levels across regions
by examining potential reasons why people do not use ONIL stoves, and 3) to recommend
practicable interventions that HELPS could undertake in order to enhance the effectiveness
of the ONIL stove program.
The key methods employed in this study were a structured oral survey, focus group
discussions, in-depth interviews, and participant observation. Analysis finds a great
deal of variance across the selected communities. This study concludes that in order
to maximize the health and environment benefits of the ICSs, it is not enough to ensure
that households regularly use the ICS. Instead, HELPS needs to strive toward “intact
adoption,” which this study defines as the combination of 1) the daily use of the
ICS; 2) no parallel use of less efficient cooking methods; and 3) no efficiency-reducing
alterations of the ICS design on the part of recipients.
Type
Honors thesisDepartment
Public Policy StudiesPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/3186Citation
von Ritter Figueres, Naima (2010). Rings of Fire: Assessing the Use of Efficient Cook Stoves in Rural Guatemala. Honors thesis, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/3186.Collections
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