Sparking change: smoke free kitchens for Bangladesh

More than 90% of Bangladeshis use biomass fuel for cooking, but few are aware that the toxic fumes produced by the daily act of cooking pose a serious risk to health - especially to that of women and young children. It is estimated that more than 24 million rural and nearly 6 million urban Bangladeshis are exposed to household air pollution (HAP) due to solid fuel use. What’s more, the pollutants released by burning solid biomass contribute to climate change at regional and global levels.

In 2012 SNV partnered with the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC ) and the Government of Bangladesh’s Ministry for Power (Power Division) with the ultimate goal of disseminating clean cookstoves to over 30 million households in Bangladesh by 2030.

The SNV-GACC partnership agreed to work with the World Bank in the ISO international cookstove standards process and cooperate more closely with USAID and UN SE4ALL in cookstove sector development. It is establishing a National Cookstove Testing and Knowledge Centre in Bangladesh and lobbying relevant line Ministries to incorporate the cookstove agenda into their policy and programming.

Launched in 2010 with the mission ‘to save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women and preserve the environment by creating a thriving global market for clean and efficient cookstoves and fuels’.

Achievements in Bangladesh

• Country Action Plan launched in November 2013.

• Establish Household Energy Platform (HEP) hosted by Power Division.

• Advocacy for mainstreaming cookstoves and fuels interventions in other prospective ministries.

• BSTI has dedicated its Special Appliance Committee for cookstove standards work in order to develop national standards/guidelines on cookstove performance.

• National Cookstove Testing Centre initiated by IDCOL.

SNV Focus Areas

• Promoting innovative cookstove technology.

• Boosting the market for improved cookstoves.

• Enabling the environment for improved cookstoves sector development.