Nearly half the world’s population cook on open fires using solid fuels like wood and charcoal, the toxic smoke of which kills more than four million people a year – more than malaria, HIV/Aids and tuberculosis combined. While safe and affordable clean cooking solutions exist which can dramatically reduce fuel consumption and exposure to harmful smoke, encouraging people to switch to cleaner stoves has been much more difficult than anticipated. This presentation examines an innovative project in Darfur, Sudan, which has used carbon credits and microfinance to help 15,000 families replace traditional fires with LPG stoves. The project has not only eliminated deadly smoke from homes and countless hours searching for firewood, but also has reduced deforestation and created jobs.

1. The Impact of Low Smoke Stove
Project in North Darfur and Kassala
States – Sudan
Presented By:
Muna Eltahir

2. Practical Action: Promoting
technology
Practical Action’s Vision is of a sustainable world free of poverty
and injustice in which technology is used for the benefit of all.
Practical Action’s Mission
To use technology to challenge poverty by:
Building the capacities of poor people.
Improving their access to technical options and knowledge.
Working with them to influence social, economic and
institutional systems for innovation and the use of technology.

3. Situation Analysis:
 Indoor smoke from burning solid fuels exposes women and
young children to indoor pollution 100 times higher than
acceptable levels (WHO), Causes respiratory and eye
diseases.
 North Darfur’s allowable sustainable cut is approximately
93,000 tons of wood in contrast to the current 419,068
tons of annual wood consumption in the State.
 On average fetching and cooking with
biomass takes 2-3 hours a day.
 More than 20% of a poor household’s
income goes on biomass.

4. The Low Smoke Stove
Project
 Aim: Improve the livelihoods of 15,000 poor families by
switching their cooking fuel from wood or charcoal to LPG, a
cleaner and cheaper fuel.
 Location: North Darfur and Kassala States, Sudan.
 Funder: Carbon Clear.

5. The Low Smoke Stove
Project Partners: Implemented by Practical Action in close
collaboration with the Women’s Development Association
Network of Darfur, 60 CBO run micro-loan schemes, and
private sector companies.
 Innovation: the first carbon credits programme to be
registered in Sudan and the first to be gold standard
accredited.
 Influence: Winner of the Gate’s Foundation ‘Momentum for
Change, Lighthouse Activity Award’.

6. Targets
Over 95% of households, in Darfur, use biomass fuels
(firewood and charcoal), the project’s targets are:
Reduction in indoor air pollution in households.
Reduction of overall household energy expenditure for low-
income families.
Reduction of pressure on dwindling forest resources in the
Darfur region of Sudan.
Reduce energy poverty.
Reduce GHG emissions.

7. Activities
 LPG cook stoves are distributed through a revolving fund of
micro loans to pay for the stove and LPG gas canister.
 Phase One (2008-2013): Distributed 7,500 LPG stoves.
 Phase Two (2014-2018) aims to distribute 10,000 – 16,000
new stoves, including expansion to rural areas.

8. Health Impact
Reduction of indoor air pollution levels by 80-85%.
Eliminates exposure to abuse and/or gender based
violence. when girls walk long distances to fetch firewood.
Improving the nutritional status of children and elders.

9. Environmental Impact
Wood consumption has decreased from 38 kg to 5 kg and
charcoal consumption from 35 kg to 15 kg (The switch to
LPG has enabled households to save on average 33 kg of
wood and 20 kg of charcoal per month).
Slowing the destruction of local forests by an average of
80 kg of wood per household that switched to LPG per
month.
Reduction of carbon by more
than 300,000 tons in project
lifespan.

10. Social Impact
• Establishment of two national networks (Clean Cook
Stoves - Renewable Energy).
• Women save on cooking time: about 1-2 hour/day, less
time cooking and buying daily fuel needs.
• More free time for mothers to engage in income
generating activities; farming, handcrafts and other social
activities.

11. • Gender equality: Men are
increasingly involved in
food preparation (37.5% in
Nov. 13).
Gender mainstreaming
• Older sisters freed from responsibility of caring for their
younger siblings.
• Higher enrolment of girls in schools.
• Combating early marriage and Female Gentle Mutilation
through Community Health Promoters.

12. Economical Impact
The average money saved is stated to be 134 SDG.
Alleviate poverty by reducing fuel budget and help reach
UN Minimum Level of Service (1 GJ/capita/year).
Significant reduction in household expenditure freeing
income for education, food and other essentials.

13. Thank you
info@practicalactionsd.org
Muna.Eltahier@practicalactionsd.org
http://practicalaction.org/practical-action-
sudan-1