Energy Plus - new UNDP report | 2 IAP studies from India
Dan Campbell
Does domestic cooking environment influence risk of respiratory morbidities in rural Indian women?
JANUARY 19, 2012 · 0 COMMENTS
International Journal of Collaborative Research on Internal Medicine & Public Health, Vol. 4 No. 1 (January 2012)
Does domestic cooking environment influence risk of respiratory morbidities in rural Indian women?
Neelam D Sukhsohale, Uday W Narlawar, Mrunal S Phatak, Suresh N Ughade
Background and objectives: Whether continued use of biomass fuels along with other fuels in presence of poor domestic cooking conditions is as detrimental to respiratory health as the exclusive use of biomass fuels is unknown. The present study is an attempt to assess the risks associated with indoor air pollution in the context of adverse domestic cooking environmental conditions in rural women of central India.
Methods: We conducted a community based, cross sectional study in 760 non-smoking, rural women of central India – 265 used non biomass fuels (Group A), 243 biomass and other fuels (Group B) while 252 exclusively biomass fuels (Group C). Exposure to domestic smoke was estimated according to the average time per day spent near the fireplace (exposure index). Abnormal pulmonary function of the study subjects was assessed by the measurement of peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) according to standards recommended by American thoracic society. PEFR less than 80% of the predicted was considered as abnormal pulmonary function.
Background and objectives: Whether continued use of biomass fuels along with other fuels in presence of poor domestic cooking conditions is as detrimental to respiratory health as the exclusive use of biomass fuels is unknown. The present study is an attempt to assess the risks associated with indoor air pollution in the context of adverse domestic cooking environmental conditions in rural women of central India.
Results: Robust multivariate analyses which adjusted for height, illiteracy, physical activity, environmental exposure to tobacco smoke (ETS), mud house, overcrowding, inadequate ventilation and respiratory morbidity revealed that illiteracy (OR 2.48, 95 % CI 1.04 5.87); physical activity (OR 3.93, 95 % CI 1.52 10.14); inadequate cross ventilation (OR 2.43, 95 % CI 1.23-4.77) and respiratory morbidity (OR 2.65, 95 % CI 1.38-5.08) were significant predictors of low PEFR for group C (P<0.05); whereas none of the predictors were found to be significantly associated with group B.
Conclusions: Since women using partial biomass fuels showed no association of low PEFR with domestic cooking environment and respiratory morbidity even after robustly adjusting for confounding variables, we can conclude that even partial abolition of biomass use may be beneficial in improving the lung function of rural, non smoking women in spite of having inadequate domestic cooking environment.
A study of risk factors associated with indoor air pollution in the low income households
JANUARY 19, 2012 · 0 COMMENTS
E3 Journal of Environmental Research and Management Vol.3(1). pp. 001-008, January, 2012
A study of risk factors associated with indoor air pollution in the low income households in Aligarh city, India
Abha Lakshmi Singh and Saleha Jamal. Department of Geography, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, Uttar Pradesh (INDIA)
This paper seeks to investigate the risk factors associated with indoor air pollution in low income households. Cooking with traditional fuels leads to high levels of indoor air pollution, exposure of which increases the risk of various health problems. This study is based on primary sources of data collected with the help of questionnaire interviews from 533 low income households (earning Rs.5, 000 and less per month). Since women are responsible for cooking they were selected as respondents. This study investigates the major socio-economic factors including housing and cooking conditions, identification of risk factors and occurrence of associated diseases.
The results show that most of the low income households were using traditional fuels and stoves, cooking in multipurpose room and veranda, in poorly ventilated cooking places and taking long hours for cooking. Thus, they were exposed to all the associated risk factors of indoor air pollution. They reported of the occurrence of associated diseases, like acute upper and lower respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, perinatal mortality, pulmonary tuberculosis, low birth weight, eye irritation and cataract etc. The study points to the need of creating awareness amongst the low income households.
Towards an “Energy Plus” Approach for the Poor
JANUARY 19, 2012 · 0 COMMENTS
TOWARDS AN ‘ENERGY PLUS’ APPROACH FOR THE POOR: A review of good practices and lessons learned from Asia and the Pacific, 2012. UNDP.
The 17 reviewed energy access programmes and projects have brought improvements to the quality of lives of communities in terms of energy cost savings, health, education, communication, access to information and women’s empowerment, thus contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. In addition, initiatives that promote lowemission technologies contribute to the global climate change agenda.
The impact of energy access projects on livelihoods and incomes is less visible. This is because most energy access projects adopt a ‘minimalist’ approach, focusing on the basic energy needs of the poor (lighting homes, cooking, heating).
While the importance of these cannot be overemphasized, such a strategy is not sufficient for effective poverty reduction. On the other hand, projects that complement energy service provision with measures that raise incomes and improve livelihoods – e.g. improving access to information, market linkages, business development services and access to capital – show tremendous promise in poverty reduction and economic and human development. Such ‘Energy Plus’ initiatives, however, are few in number and are yet to be scaled up in terms of the number of people reached.
The report highlights that breaking through the energy-poverty cycle is best achieved by combining the delivery of energy services with measures that generate cash incomes. This ‘Energy Plus’ approach has the greatest potential for reducing poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The report identifies good practices and lessons learned for making a transition to this approach, in areas of energy service
delivery, financing and mainstreaming.