Carbon Emission Reduction Potentials of Improved Biomass Cookstoves Used In Gambella Refugee Camps, Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Background In many countries of the world, households burn firewood or biomass to fulfill their cooking and heating needs. The excessive reliance on biomass fuels by inefficient traditional cookstove produces and emits substantial amount of smoke which brings effects associated with high indoor air pollution, deforestation, climate change and losses productivity. Therefore, this study focused on carbon emission reduction potentials of improved biomass cookstoves used in Gambella refugee camps and compares it with traditional open-fire stove. Methods For this study, Water Boiling Test (WBT) was carried out at laboratory level. The most commonly used improved biomass cookstoves and the three stone traditional cook stove were selected for the assessment and comparison. The emission of greenhouse gasses (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and particulate matters) was used as indicators to compare the emissions of each stove. Results The results indicated that, three-stone open-fire traditional stove, Clay (User Centered Design-UCD), Flexy and Tikikil stoves were found to be the preferred mode of biomass cooking stove used by most refugees. From the experimental test results, the performance model showed a significant reduction in greenhouse gasses and/or pollutant (CO₂, CO, and PM_2.5) concentrations. The use of one Flexy stove could avoid the emission of 1.21 tons, Clay 1.15 tons, and Tikikil 0.96 tons of CO₂e per stove per year. The average amount of CO emission from the three-stone stove was 1105ppm and from ICS was 370.3 ppm. Particulate matter (PM_2.5) emissions of Flexy, Clay, Tikikil and Traditional cook stoves were recorded as 329, 339, 337, 614 mg respectively. Conclusion Therefore, it can be conclude that improved biomass cook stoves can produce less smoke and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and health effects. Thus, concerned organizations should disseminate and monitor improved biomass cooking stoves for the refugees so as to protect individuals from negative impact of traditional three-stone cookstoves.