Cost Benefit Analysis of Indoor Air Pollution Mitigation Efforts

Abstract:

Indoor air pollution (IAP) especially through smoke of burning solid biomass fuel for cooking is a major environmental health problem in Nepal. About 85 percent of Nepalese households are dependent on solid biomass fuels for cooking energy. Among them, most of the households cook in poorly ventilated kitchen using inefficient stoves, leading to high indoor air pollution and consequently severe health problems. According to World Health Organization, IAP was responsible for the deaths of about 7,500 people in Nepal in year 2002. While number of people suffering from health problems generated by IAP are millions. Dependency in solid fuels for cooking seems continue unless there is dramatic change in the policy that ensures equitable access to cleaner fuels for vast majority of poor households. In case of solid fuel use also, there are successful technologies/interventions which help to mitigate IAP. But due to lack of adequate evidence on the economic viability of such technologies/interventions, scaling-up of such initiatives has not been taking place smoothly. Considering the fact, this study has tried to generate empirical evidence on the cost and benefit of indoor air pollution control initiatives. Survey was administered in 400 households in Rasuwa district, Nepal to check efficiency of interventions (mainly smoke hoods and stove improvement) in terms of pollution reduction and fuel saving consequent saving on health expenditures, fuel, time and Green House Gas. The research finding shows that the average indoor air pollution level in traditional stove user households is 15 folds higher than the recommended safe level leading to high health expenditures. The benefit-cost analysis suggests that the investment in IAP mitigating intervention is viable from household and as well as societal perspectives