Environmental research

In Sri Lanka, approximately 90% of rural households use biomass for cooking. Although biomass is a renewable, affordable and a widely used source of energy, it is also a source of greenhouse gases (GHGs). However many households and small industries cannot afford to use any other source of energy other than firewood, especially the rural poor. The use of firewood, primarily in kitchens, leads to an increase in indoor pollution, which can cause asthma and other severe respiratory illnesses. The Integrated Development Association (IDEA) believes that kitchens can be created that will reduce emissions and indoor pollution. Therefore IDEA intends to introduce domestic cooking technologies, such as improved cooking stoves, to reduce the emission of GHGs and will also measure indoor pollution levels in rural kitchens. The areas of focus will be Kandy, Kegalle, Matale, Monaragala and Ratnapura Districts. This project will improve the capacities of the producers of an energy saving stove called "Anagi" as well as other NGOs in stove technologies, and will be implemented through the Sri Lanka Nature Forum (SLNF) member organizations. Approximately 28 will be involved. The ecological impacts will be a reduction of GHG and indoor pollution in rural kitchens.

Sri lanka