Enhancing LPG Adoption in Ghana (ELAG): A Trial Testing Policy-Relevant Interventions to Increase Sustained Use of Clean Fuels.

Rebecca Prah,Oscar Agyei,Kwaku Poku Asante,Mohammed Mujtaba,Mieks Twumasi,Darby Jack,Theresa Tawiah,Daniel Carrión

doi:10.3390/su13042213

Abstract

Rural Ghanaians rely on solid biomass fuels for their cooking. National efforts to promote the Sustainable Development Goals include the Rural Liquefied Petroleum Gas Promotion Program (RLP), which freely distributes LPG stoves, but evaluations have demonstrated low sustained use among recipients. Our study objective was to assess if cheap and scalable add-on interventions could increase sustained use of LPG stoves under the RLP scheme. We replicated RLP conditions among participants in 27 communities in Kintampo, Ghana, but cluster-randomized them to four add-on interventions: a behavioral intervention, fuel delivery service, combined intervention, or control. We reported on the final 6 months of a 12-month follow-up for participants (n = 778). Results demonstrated increased use for each intervention, but magnitudes were small. The direct delivery intervention induced the largest increase: 280 min over 6 months (p < 0.001), ∼1.5 min per day. Self-reported refills (a secondary outcome), support increased use for the dual intervention arm (IRR = 2.2, p = 0.026). Past literature demonstrates that recipients of clean cookstoves rarely achieve sustained use of the technologies. While these results are statistically significant, we interpret them as null given the implied persistent reliance on solid fuels. Future research should investigate if fuel subsidies would increase sustained use since current LPG promotion activities do not.

Highlights

Combustion of solid fuels in open fires is the dominant form of cooking and heating for 3 billion people worldwide [1], resulting in household air pollution and related morbidity and mortality [2]
Our imputed results showed that all intervention arms had a statistically significant Our in imputed results intervention armsarm hadhad a statistically significant increase sustained use showed (Table 3).that education the smallest increase increase in sustained use (Table education arm had the smallest (p < 0.001) and the direct delivery arm had the largest (p < 0.001)
Over the full year of follow up, control we found that allhighest three intervention arms had a higher number of refills compared to the arm

Summary

Introduction

Combustion of solid fuels in open fires is the dominant form of cooking and heating for 3 billion people worldwide [1], resulting in household air pollution and related morbidity and mortality [2]. In Ghana, solid fuel use is ubiquitous in rural areas [3]. To address health and deforestation concerns, and to meet national energy policy targets based on the Sustainable Development Goals [4,5], the Ghanaian government initiated the Rural. Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Promotion Program (RLP). LPG use by distributing free LPG stoves in rural areas [6]. Efforts to promote LPG and other clean fuels are underway in many low-to-middle-income countries worldwide [7,8]. Evaluations of the program have found low levels of sustained LPG stove use among stove recipients, both in Ghana and elsewhere [9,10]. The RLP and similar efforts to promote clean fuels may be helped by low-cost and scalable add-on interventions that increase sustained use among stove recipients

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Methods

Discussion

Conclusion