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Energy and the environment in Sub-Saharan Africa: Household perceptions of improved cookstoves

Jewitt, Sarah; Atagher, Peter; Clifford, Mike; Ray, Charlotte; Sesan, Temilade

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Authors

SARAH JEWITT SARAH.JEWITT@NOTTINGHAM.AC.UK
Professor of Human Geography and Development

Peter Atagher

Charlotte Ray

Temilade Sesan



Contributors

Tobias Haller
Editor

Claudia Zingerli
Editor

Abstract

Around 2.7 billion people globally and 80% of households in Sub-Saharan Africa rely on solid biomass fuels for cooking and heating. This results in high levels of exposure to household air pollution (HAP); the second most common cause of death in eastern, central and western sub-Saharan Africa. Top-down technology-oriented initiatives seeking to promote the uptake of »improved« cookstoves (ICS) have had limited success to date. Drawing on participatory cooking events in the UK, Malawi and Zambia plus in-depth field-based research in Nigeria, we discuss our use of participatory engagement activities that gave voice to (and encourage emic understandings of) end-user priorities regarding fuel and cookstove use. We argue that such approaches can be effective in promoting two-way knowledge sharing between ICS producers, promoters and end-users. We also suggest that community-wide participatory approaches used in sanitation initiatives have potential to be adapted within ICS interventions to help deepen understandings of locally specific cooking preferences and integrate community and scientific knowledges about the causes of health issues linked to solid fuel use.

Citation

Jewitt, S., Atagher, P., Clifford, M., Ray, C., & Sesan, T. (2020). Energy and the environment in Sub-Saharan Africa: Household perceptions of improved cookstoves. In T. Haller, & C. Zingerli (Eds.), Towards Shared Research: Participatory and Integrative Approaches in Researching African Environments – Opportunities, Challenges, Actualities in Natural and Social Sciences (91-124). Transcript Verlag

Acceptance Date Sep 7, 2017
Online Publication Date Mar 10, 2020
Publication Date 2020
Deposit Date Sep 8, 2017
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Pages 91-124
Book Title Towards Shared Research: Participatory and Integrative Approaches in Researching African Environments – Opportunities, Challenges, Actualities in Natural and Social Sciences
Chapter Number 4
ISBN 9783837651508
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/881195
Publisher URL https://www.transcript-publishing.com/978-3-8376-5150-8/towards-shared-research/

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