How cookstoves help protect the rainforest
Our climate project in Nyungwe, Rwanda
Improved cookstoves in Nyungwe, Rwanda
Nyungwe Forest National Park in the southwestern corner of Rwanda is the largest mountain rainforest on this side of the African continent and the country's most important site for biodiversity. However, the growing population in areas around the park and their increasing use of firewood for cooking is putting more and more pressure on the unique rainforest ecosystem.
Our project enables households to reduce their wood consumption. Traditionally, families here cook over an open three-stone fire. This is inefficient and also a serious threat to health due to the heavy smoke pollution. The project introduces improved cookstoves made of local clay and sand. The so-called Canarumwe model is produced by a local cooperative and consumes two thirds less fuel than the three-stone fire. The stoves are offered at a subsidized price so that low-income households can afford them.
Contribution to the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs)
No Poverty
More time for income generating activities.
Zero Hunger
Support for families living from the cultivation of tea, which is a mayor crop in the region.
Good Health and Well-Being
Reducing smoke during cooking helps prevent respiratory and other diseases.
Quality Education
More time for education and attending school.
Gender Equality
Improving health conditions and reducing workload, especially for women and children.
Affordable and Clean Energy
Access to clean and economic cooking for all households in the project area.
Decent Work and Economic Growth
Creating jobs and stimulating the local economy through production and sale of the stoves.
Responsible Consumption and Production
The efficient stoves allow for a more responsible use of wood as a cooking fuel.
Climate Action
The project saves an average of 10,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.
Life on Land
Preserving Nyungwe National Park's biodiversity with 300 bird species and 13 recorded primates including chimpanzees and colobus monkeys.
Partnerships for the Goals
Our climate projects are building bridges from companies from industrialized countries to people in the world's poorest countries.
How do cookstoves help fight global warming?
In many of the world's poorer regions, families cook their meals over an open fire, often in enclosed spaces. This method of cooking is however not energy efficient, as large amounts of heat go to waste. Clean cooking stoves are often simple devices made from metal or clay that use energy more efficiently. Families can thus save fuel and cut down on CO2 emissions. Sometimes the stoves are even used in small businesses.