Improved Cooking Stove (ICS) Program
In Bangladesh about 70% population live in rural areas who mostly use fire wood, straw, twigs, leaves, rice husks, jute stick and other agricultural residues as fuels for cooking purpose which is about 39 million tons in total — 83% of the total energy consumption of the country. Only 4% of the populations use natural gas for cooking purpose in the semi-urban and urban areas. According to environmentalist, we should have 25% land area as forest but actually we do have only 17.08% (source: http://ulterious.com) forests areas. Using the traditional system of cooking, the fire woods are depleting day by day. Traditional stove also emits smoke, which affects the health of the users especially cooks and make the kitchen dirty.
The use of traditional fuel is increasing day by day as population is growing with uneven pace which also assert a situation that using traditional system of cooking also indicate that low efficiency of traditional stove because fame of fire does not burn completely, appreciable quantities of irritants, contaminant and carcinogens are released in the kitchen environment and these pose a major threat to the respiratory system of the users. Considering these facts, it is necessary to give up the use of traditional fuel to protect vegetation.
Improved cooking stove can mitigate this situation though it is not the full solution but considering economic and health aspects it can work, instead of traditional biomass cook stove.
In the year 2009, RDF with the assistance of GIZ & in the year 2010 IDCOL introduced Improved Cooking Stove (ICS) which is environment friendly and safe for the users. Among many other advantages, ICS also saves 20%-30% of fuel for cooking purpose. With the assistance of GIZ; RDF installed 26,410 Nos. of ICS for 1,05,640 individual beneficiaries.
Till April 2017, RDF installed 61,952 Nos. of ICS covering 5 districts, 13 upazillas in Bangladesh with assistance by IDCOL for 2,16,832 individual beneficiaries.
Benefits of ICS use in Rural Households:
- ICS reduces smoke emission and health hazards especially
- It makes air pollution free environment.
- Improved Cooking Stove saves 50% fuels compared to traditional ones.
- Considering chimney stove, flue gases are also taken out of the kitchen so that the kitchen becomes more comfortable for the cook and ensure hygiene factor
- Save cooking time and ensuring testy food
- Less blackening of the utensils
- Saving of fuels and portable stove can be shifted easily during rainy season
- This system reduces cost of wooden fuel.
- It is good for mother and child health.