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García-López N, Bargués-Tobella A, Goodman RC, Uwingabire S, Sundberg C, Boman C, Nyberg G. An integrated agroforestry-bioenergy system for enhanced energy and food security in rural sub-Saharan Africa. AMBIO 2024; 53:1492-1504. [PMID: 38822967 PMCID: PMC11383902 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-024-02037-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Most people in rural sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity and rely on traditional, inefficient, and polluting cooking solutions that have adverse impacts on both human health and the environment. Here, we propose a novel integrated agroforestry-bioenergy system that combines sustainable biomass production in sequential agroforestry systems with biomass-based cleaner cooking solutions and rural electricity production in small-scale combined heat and power plants and estimate the biophysical system outcomes. Despite conservative assumptions, we demonstrate that on-farm biomass production can cover the household's fuelwood demand for cooking and still generate a surplus of woody biomass for electricity production via gasification. Agroforestry and biochar soil amendments should increase agricultural productivity and food security. In addition to enhanced energy security, the proposed system should also contribute to improving cooking conditions and health, enhancing soil fertility and food security, climate change mitigation, gender equality, and rural poverty reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natxo García-López
- Thermochemical Energy Conversion Laboratory, Department of Applied Physics and Electronics, Umeå University, 90187, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Aida Bargués-Tobella
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Umeå, Sweden
| | - Rosa C Goodman
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Umeå, Sweden
| | - Solange Uwingabire
- Regional Research School in Forest Sciences (REFOREST), College of Forestry, Wildlife and Tourism, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Cecilia Sundberg
- Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Christoffer Boman
- Thermochemical Energy Conversion Laboratory, Department of Applied Physics and Electronics, Umeå University, 90187, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Gert Nyberg
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Umeå, Sweden
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Parvizi K, Menya D, Nix E, Mangeni J, Lorenzetti F, Sang E, Anderson de Cuevas R, Tawiah T, Baame M, Betang E, Ronzi S, Twumasi M, Amenga-Etego S, Quansah R, Mbatchou Ngahane BH, Puzzolo E, Asante KP, Pope D, Shupler M. Burden of headaches, eye irritation and respiratory symptoms among females stacking LPG with polluting cooking fuels: Modelling from peri-urban Cameroon, Ghana & Kenya. ENERGY NEXUS 2024; 14:None. [PMID: 38952437 PMCID: PMC11177547 DOI: 10.1016/j.nexus.2024.100304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is a clean cooking fuel that emits less household air pollution (HAP) than polluting cooking fuels (e.g. charcoal, wood). While switching from polluting fuels to LPG can reduce HAP and improve health, the impact of 'stacking' (concurrent use of polluting fuels and LPG) on adverse health symptoms (e.g. headaches, eye irritation, cough) among female cooks is uncertain. Methods Survey data from the CLEAN-Air(Africa) study was collected on cooking patterns and health symptoms over the last 12 months (cough, wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, eye irritation, headaches) from approximately 400 female primary cooks in each of three peri‑urban communities in sub-Saharan Africa: Mbalmayo, Cameroon; Obuasi, Ghana; and Eldoret, Kenya. Random effects Poisson regression, adjusted for socioeconomic and health-related covariates, assessed the relationship between primary and secondary cooking fuel type and self-reported health symptoms. Results Among 1,147 participants, 10 % (n = 118) exclusively cooked with LPG, 45 % (n = 509) stacked LPG and polluting fuels and 45 % (n = 520) exclusively cooked with polluting fuels. Female cooks stacking LPG and polluting fuels had significantly higher odds of shortness of breath (OR 2.16, 95 %CI:1.04-4.48) compared with those exclusively using LPG. In two communities, headache prevalence was 30 % higher among women stacking LPG with polluting fuels (Mbalmayo:82 %; Eldoret:65 %) compared with those exclusively using LPG (Mbalmayo:53 %; Eldoret:33 %). Women stacking LPG and polluting fuels (OR 2.45, 95 %CI:1.29-4.67) had significantly higher odds of eye irritation than women cooking exclusively with LPG. Second-hand smoke exposure was significantly associated with higher odds of chest tightness (OR 1.92, 95 % CI:1.19-3.11), wheezing (OR 1.76, 95 % CI:1.06-2.91) and cough (OR 1.78, 95 %CI:1.13-2.80). Conclusions In peri‑urban sub-Saharan Africa, women exclusively cooking with LPG had lower odds of several health symptoms than those stacking LPG and polluting fuels. Promoting a complete transition to LPG in these communities may likely generate short-term health benefits for primary cooks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kourosh Parvizi
- Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Diana Menya
- School of Public Health, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Emily Nix
- Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | | | - Federico Lorenzetti
- Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Edna Sang
- School of Public Health, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
| | | | | | | | | | - Sara Ronzi
- Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | - Elisa Puzzolo
- Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | | | - Daniel Pope
- Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Shupler
- Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom
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Witinok-Huber R, Keller KP, Abimana E, Ahishakiye C, Chang HH, L’Orange C, Manning DT, Mori R, Muhirwa EF, Muhongerwa L, Ntakirutimana T, Puzzolo E, Quinn C, Rosa G, Tanner K, Young BN, Zimmerle D, Kalisa E, Volckens J, Clark ML. Impact of randomly assigned "pay-as-you-go" liquefied petroleum gas prices on energy use for cooking: Experimental pilot evidence from rural Rwanda. ENERGY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT : THE JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INITIATIVE 2024; 80:101455. [PMID: 38799418 PMCID: PMC11126215 DOI: 10.1016/j.esd.2024.101455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The disease burden related to air pollution from traditional solid-fuel cooking practices in low- and middle-income countries impacts millions of people globally. Although the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fuel for cooking can meaningfully reduce household air pollution concentrations, major barriers, including affordability and accessibility, have limited widespread adoption. Using a randomized controlled trial, our objective was to evaluate the association between the cost and use of LPG among 23 rural Rwandan households. We provided a 2-burner LPG stove with accessories and incorporated a "pay-as-you-go" (PAYG) LPG service model that included fuel delivery. PAYG services remove the large up-front cost of cylinder refills by integrating "smart meter" technology that allows participants to pay in incremental amounts, as needed. We assigned three randomized discounted prices for LPG to each household at ~4-week intervals over a 12-week period. We modeled the relationship between randomized PAYG LPG price and use (standardized to monthly periods), analyzing effect modification by relative household wealth. A 1000 Rwandan Franc (about 1 USD at the time of the study) increase in LPG price/kg was associated with a 4.1 kg/month decrease in use (95% confidence interval [CI]: -6.7, -1.6; n=69 observations). Wealth modified this association; we observed a 9.7 kg/month reduction (95% CI: -14.8, -4.5) among wealthier households and a 2.5 kg/month reduction (95% CI: -5.3, 0.3) among lower-wealth households (p-interaction=0.01). The difference in price sensitivity was driven by higher LPG use among wealthier households at more heavily discounted prices; from an 80% to 10% discount, wealthy households used 17.5 to 5.3 kg/month and less wealthy households used 6.2 to 3.1 kg/month. Our pilot-level experimental evidence of PAYG LPG in a rural low-resource setting suggests that further exploration of subsidized pricing varied by household wealth is needed to ensure future policy initiatives can achieve targets without exacerbating inequities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Witinok-Huber
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Kayleigh P. Keller
- Department of Statistics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | | | - Howard H. Chang
- Department of Statistics, Rollings School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Christian L’Orange
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Dale T. Manning
- Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Elisa Puzzolo
- Department of Public Health and Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Global LPG Partnership, New York, NY, USA
| | - Casey Quinn
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Ghislaine Rosa
- Department of Public Health and Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Ky Tanner
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Bonnie N. Young
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Daniel Zimmerle
- Energy Institute, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Egide Kalisa
- College of Science and Technology, Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - John Volckens
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Maggie L. Clark
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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Halder M, Kasemi N, Roy D, Majumder M. Impact of indoor air pollution from cooking fuel usage and practices on self-reported health among older adults in India: Evidence from LASI. SSM Popul Health 2024; 25:101653. [PMID: 38495804 PMCID: PMC10940171 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2024.101653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
This research aims to explore the impact of various components of Indoor air pollution (IAP) on the Self-Reported Health (SRH) of older adults in India. Using a sample of 27,090 from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) Wave-1, a multiple binary logistic regression model was employed to identify specific risk factors associated with poor SRH among older adults. Adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and IAP-related components, it was revealed that IAP significantly contributes to poor SRH. The adjusted model indicated that individuals using solid cooking fuels face a higher risk of poor SRH compared to those using liquid fuels. Additionally, individuals not using electric chimneys and cooking near windows are associated with an elevated risk of poor SRH, highlighting the importance of adequate ventilation. Health risk factors, including lung disease, diabetes, cough, and depression, further contribute to poor SRH among older adults exposed to IAP. Overall, the study offers crucial insights for policymakers, healthcare professionals, and environmentalists to improve the well-being of the vulnerable older population in India.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Doli Roy
- Raiganj University, Raiganj, West Bengal, India
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