Project Portfolio
This project replaced open fire pits and mud stoves with more efficient wood burning stoves, thereby reducing the amount of deforestation and pollution in the Sichuan province of China.
Our Take
Cookstove projects are incredibly important in the short term, as they are an elegant way to reduce deforestation and carbon emissions while simultaneously preserving endangered habitats, saving local communities an incredible amount of time, and spurring local economic development.
Description
This project replaced 411 three-stone-fire and mud stoves with firewood-saving cookstoves. It’s one of the 4 micro projects in the region, mostly affecting the local Yi Minority. Their traditional living habits rapidly degrade the surrounding forests and reserves. The Yi people cut down a significant amount of wood each year for heating and cooking. Due to the difficulty in travel and the weak power supply system/high electricity price, there is no other power solution to replace their vast wood consumption.
The distributed cookstoves increase efficiency and reduce waste and pollution. The significant amount of time freed up for local inhabitants is then able to be repurposed, and much of it is driven by further investments to practice reforestation efforts and collection of under-tree resources.
Cobenefits
This project reduces exposure to air pollution and provides better cooked food (3), increases energy efficiency, and preserves forestland for other animals (15).