Improved Stoves (ICS)

Improved stoves play a critical role in clean cooking transition by households still using the traditional three stone open fire stove and the traditional metallic (charcoal) stove.

They have higher efficiency – they use less fuel to produce same amount of heat energy as the traditional stoves. Less fuel translates to less costs for biomass fuel for the stoves and less time for collecting biomass fuel for cooking.

Incomplete combustion causes more smoke and more emissions particularly the PM2.5, CO2, CO and other emissions. Improved stoves burn fuel more efficiently, hence lower emissions. This lowers Household Air Pollution which is a health risk causing diseases such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Ischemic Heart Disease, Lung Cancer, Lower Respiratory Infections...

In terms of safety, Improved stoves reduce risks of burns - fuel burns in an enclosed combustion chamber.

In areas where biomass fuel is available, and travel friction (for example poor infrastructure, high travel expenses to access the location), is high, hindering access to cleaner fuels such as LPG, and ethanol stoves, improved stoves are better option for households.

Due to these benefits, I believe Improved Stoves can support households still using the traditional biomass stoves to gradually transition to clean cooking solutions such as LPG, ethanol, biogas, electricity etc.