E3 Journal of Environmental Research and Management

E3 Journal of Environmental Research and Management Vol. 5 (9) pp. 0156-0168, September 2014; © E3 Journals; ISSN 2141-7466

Role of fuel efficient stoves in achieving the millennium development goals: case of Ethiopia

Abstract

World leaders set far-sighted eight goals to free a major portion of humanity, particularly in developing nations, by the year 2015 from extreme poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease; established targets for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women, environmental sustainability and a global partnership for development. The objective of this paper is to critically examine the role of fuel-efficient stoves in realizing these goals based on secondary sources. Access to fuel efficient cooking stoves has a paramount contribution for the struggle to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. It is vital in minimizing the incidence of indoor air pollution and related deaths; reduces the rate of green house gas emission; enables to reduce the demand for fuel (so as to decrease the rate of deforestation and utilization of animal dung and crop residues for fuel-which again enables to increase the productivity of the land); it also plays great role in minimizing the amount of time and effort women and young girls spend in gathering fuels which otherwise will be used for education and income generating activities. Developing countries should disseminate appropriate fuel saving stoves especially for the rural areas whereby the majority of their population are dependent in traditional open fire system.

Keywords: Ethiopia, MDGs, fuel efficient stoves, Indoor air pollution