Household Determinants and Respiratory Health Impacts of Fuel Switching in Indonesia

Abstract

This paper examines two factors involved in the environmental health risk of indoor air pollution for households in Indonesia. First, I examine the determinants of a household’s decision to switch to cleaner burning fuels. Based on the decision of a household to switch to cleaner burning fuels, I test if the decision of a household to switch to cleaner fuels impacts respiratory health outcomes. There are real and immediate policy implications for this type of analysis. Indoor air pollution has serious health impacts on individuals in developing nations, especially women and children. Understanding the factors that contribute to a household’s decision to adopt cleaner burning fuels has implications for the design of improved stove intervention programs. The ability to quantify the health benefits of stove switching will assist policy makers in allocating scarce resources for interventions, and justifying these interventions to funders. With renewed interest in improved stove projects and funding dollars being spent to scale up successful initiatives there is a need for a better understanding of the characteristics of the targeted population. To justify additional funding for improved stove efforts there is a need for more rigorous impact evaluations, linking them to improved health and increased productivity.