Abstract:
Majority of rural households in developing country uses traditional cooking technologies with high-energy inefficiency and biomass use. The results are a high pressure on forest that serves as source of firewood. The improved cook stove has been promoted as potential solution to slow the loss of biomass. Majority aim of study was based on assessment of factors influencing adoption of improved cook stoves among low income households in different sectors of Gisagara district. To achieve this, the study assessed the cooking technologies and energy use among households, determined factors associated with the adoption of cook stoves, and assessed the benefits of adopting and using improved cook stove among low income households in Gisagara. A sum of 398 households was sampled form 77,259 households in Gisagara sectors and questionaires administered. More than halth of households 63% use improved cook stove ( rondereza/cana rumwe/ DelAgua) 15.8% use traditional three stove stoves, multipurpose woo/charcoal at 1.5%, metal stoves 12.8%, LPG at 3.8% and also found that households use electricity for cooking count to 03% respectively. The main source of information was neighbor, seminars and meeting. The stoves were priced between 2000 Frw and above 10 000 Frw with cook stove obtained from Ndora market at 16.7% and 30% of stove are given by companies like DelAgua and Amayaga Green Project .two-third of the study households indicates cost effectiveness and availability of fuels as major factors influencing adoption. In conclusion, initiative aimed at adoption of improved cook stoves should up scaled by effective dissemination of information on the characteristics of cooking technologies. To increase the adoption, I recommend increase awareness of their benefits and affordable pricing of the devices and energy including option such as financing or subsidies by major stakeholders and the government.
