Pollution from the use of fuels like fuelwood and crop residue is a huge environmental issue in developing countries. It leads to poor indoor air quality and adverse impacts on human health, mainly that of women and children who spend most of their time indoors. It also leads to deforestation in areas where fuelwood and charcoal use is high. This chapter describes the problem of fuel use for cooking in developing economies, and the challenges they pose for human health and the environment. The findings from many economic studies are analysed on different aspects of this issue, evaluations of government policies and the difficulties associated with the desired transition to cleaner, more efficient fuels such as natural gas and electricity.

To quote this document:

Chakravorty U., Gupta R. and Pelli M. (2022). The economics of rural energy use in developing countries (2022s-12, CIRANO). https://doi.org/10.54932/XCOZ6579