The demand for biomass energy is increasing …
Worldwide 2.5 billion people use biomass energy to meet their basic needs – for example, to prepare food, heat water, keep warm. Away from the cities, in particular, biomass is the only form of energy. In fact, in most African countries fuelwood is the sole energy resource for 90 percent of households. Alternatives are often not accessible, and higher-value energy sources such as gas and electricity are unaffordable. Without viable alternatives and solutions the use of biomass will increase, with increasingly grave consequences.
... as are the problems
The associated problems not only affect the environment – for example, through deforestation and subsequent erosion and desertification – but also have economic and health-related implications. Families with low incomes have to spend more of their money on fuel and thus have less available for food. Women are particularly affected, since the increasing amount of work involved in collecting firewood means that they are unable to participate in community development processes. Furthermore, in many areas agricultural waste and dung are used as fuel, depriving the soil of valuable fertiliser. In addition, the smoke produced by traditional three-stone hearths leads to serious respiratory problems, particularly among women and children, and is responsible for the death of 1.5 million people per year. This is more than the number of deaths from malaria. Indoor air pollution is thus the fourth largest health risk in developing countries.
The response: energy-efficient and improved stoves
GTZ has been addressing these challenges and has developed more energy-efficient technologies, as well as dissemination strategies. Energy-efficient stoves can potentially save 50 percent of biomass in household use, and up to 80 percent in catering establishments. And improved stoves not only have positive effects on human health and the environment; they benefit people in other ways too. Time and money otherwise used for collecting or buying fuelwood can be invested in education or other domestic and agricultural activities. Thanks to the improved Jiko stove, for example, a Kenyan family can achieve annual savings of 65 kg charcoal per year and thus have an extra US$ 613 in its household budget.
GTZ – 25 years of experience
Over the last 25 years, GTZ has acquired valuable experience in the area of household energy, which it has been able to apply both in individual projects and in supra-regional consultancy projects. Projects produce great benefits, especially in terms of managing and exchanging knowledge and in policy consultancy. Both the previous project, the HEP household energy programme (1998-2003), and the new HERA project (2003-2009) create and encourage communication between local household energy projects and thus make use of synergies.
