8
Inventory of Innovative Indoor Smoke
Alleviating Technologies in Nepal
Detailed scientific assessment of cook stove performance
in terms of combustion efficiency and design
methodology began in early 80s, after the government
included ICS in its sixth five-year plan. Ceramic insulation
and double wall stoves replaced the Lorena and other
mud stoves initiated by RECAST, funded by government
and other agencies like UNDP and FAO. Community
Forestry Development Project (CFDP) distributed a large
number of ICS in rural areas of Nepal. Agricultural
Development Bank introduced ceramic cook stoves and
the new Nepali Chulo with support from UNICEF. Likewise,
Earthquake Rehabilitation Project also constructed large-
scale HH mass mud/stone stoves in the eastern part of
Nepal during late 80s.
The history of ICS development in Nepal reveals that
various international donors had a strong influence for
ICS promotion. These donor led ICS programmes could
not address the real needs of various users due to lack
of long-term development objective, institutional
arrangement and development of human resources as
required. As a result, ICS programmes could not sustain
without continued external funding support.
New initiatives for ICS dissemination started during the
90s, where locally adaptive stoves built from cheaper
and easily available local materials were promoted. The
study of SECCON (2000) revealed that the ceramic
insulated stove; double wall stove; new Nepali chulo
(UNICEF Model); improved Tamang stove; mud/brick
stove; two potholes raised mud/brick stove; RECAST mud
stove; and smoke recyclable stoves were some types
of pottery liner stoves disseminated until the 90s. At
present, the sun dried mud-brick stoves are cast on
site by trained stove promoters, however during the
inception; it was initially made with mud and stone with
burnt clay pipe chimney. Among the various models,
Tamang stove (two potholes) is widely used in the hilly
areas because of its high acceptability and demand
based approach.
In Nepal, the simple and primitive metal stove (inverted
U type) was also used in the past. The history of bhuse
chulo began in 80s. Few CRT model metal stoves were
disseminated in late 90s. The metal rocket stoves
intervention was started in 1996 but its promotion began
only in 2003. Foundation for Sustainable Development
(FoST) was actively involved in promotion/dissemination
of rocket stoves. Since late 90s Jumla design smokeless
metal stoves are promoted in Jumla, Humla and Mugu.
It is also promoted in some mid hills of Kaski. At present
various types of bayupankhi (air induced) metal stoves
is promoted/disseminated in peri-urban and urban areas
of Nepal.
3.1 National ICS programme
The ninth five-year plan (1997-2002) provided policy
guidelines to encourage development and application
of energy saving devices as well as promotion and
dissemination of efficient alternative energy
technologies. Consequently, National ICS Programme
(NICSP) was launched in 1999 with support from Energy
Sector Assistance Programme (ESAP). The programme
is implemented through Alternate Energy Promotion
Centre (AEPC) which is the coordinating body of
Government of Nepal for the promotion of renewable
energy technologies. The general objective of NICSP is
to establish a sustainable framework and strategy to
avail technically and socially appropriate ICS in rural
communities based on local capacity building and
income generation. In the tenth plan (2002-2007),
development and promotion of ICS was further
emphasised. The NICSP was first initiated in five mid-
hill districts promoting various models of mud-brick ICS.
It now covers more than 40 mid-hill districts and is
planning to expand further to cover the remaining high
hills as well as the Terai districts. Since the initiation of
ESAP Phase II from April 2007, the scope of ICS
component has also been widened to cover other
biomass energy technologies/solutions (other than mud-
brick ICS) like metallic ICS, biomass briquettes and
gasifier. Within the current interim plan (2007–2010), the
government plans to build 300,000 ICS along with the
development and promotion of other biomass energy
technologies.
The major activities of AEPC/ESAP NICSP include:
To develop and distribute appropriate Information,
Education and Communication (IEC) materials to the
relevant organisations, programme and national
institutions
To identify the partner organisations and technical
service providers at central and local level, to
organise training of trainers (TOT) on ICS and
technical training for district level development
organisations
To identify organisations and institutions to conduct
adaptive and participatory research on biomass
energy technologies, and establishment of national
level biomass forum
It is estimated that until now AEPC/ESAP has promoted
more than 200,000 mud-brick ICS. Besides AEPC/ESAP,
various other I/NGOs, CBOs are also promoting and
disseminating ICS. Since the Phase I of ESAP, Centre
for Rural Technology, Nepal (CRT/N), Rural Community
Development Society (RUCODES), Namsaling
Community Development Centre (NCDC), Dhaulagiri
Community Resource Development Centre (DCRDC),