Environmental research

The project is an emissions reduction project by enhancing the efficiency of biomass fuel utilisation and reduction of green house gases. The general objective of the project is to bring about reduction in greenhouse emissions that lead to global warming. The specific objective is defined as a reduction in the use of fuel wood for cooking purposes and consequently the amount of harmful gas emissions from open fire cooking. The rationale behind the project is to save energy, fuel and time through the use of the fuel-efficient stove; improve women s health by bettering environmental conditions at home; and transfer appropriate and safe technology to the communities for improvement in their cooking habits and health conditions. In relation specifically to the project area, the project is an attempt to address the depleting forest resource through the introduction of a smokeless stove that could save on the fuel needs of the people and reduce harmful gas emissions. The basic model of the smokeless stove has been adapted from that of the Family Planning Association of Pakistan (FPAP), one of the oldest national NGOs working in Pakistan since the 1950s and pioneers in the introduction of the fuel-efficient stove technology in Pakistan in 1985. FPAP and others promoting the technology in Pakistan were apparently influenced by developments in India.

Pakistan