Estimation of fuelwood-induced carbon emission from the use of improved cook stoves by selected households in Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study estimates the fuelwood-induced carbon emission of a 4-year national project called National Assembly Intervention on Clean Cooking Initiative (NAICCI), which involved the distribution of improved wood-saving stoves and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and burners to poor households in Kwara State of Nigeria between 2014 and 2018. Questionnaires were used to collect primary data from a sample of 161 households out of 1000 covering variables such as average dry weight of fuel wood used per household, average dry weight of fuel wood used in the production of charcoal, and area logged per year. A randomized experimental design was deployed across the study area covering Asa, Ilorin West, Ilorin East, and Ilorin South Local Government Areas. NAICCI was aimed at reducing carbon emission from the use of fuelwood for cooking, which was estimated using Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Decision Support Tool (REDD+ DST) to arrive at an estimate of 8.6 tonnes of carbon emission (CO2e) per capita for the period under review translating to 2.2 tCO2e/year. For fuelwood-induced carbon emissions to be sustainably reduced, we recommend enforcement of prevention of illegal logging to prevent indiscriminate deforestation, use of satellite technology in improving carbon reduction estimates, use of bioethanol from biowaste and nonfood crops, and use of Vulnerability Scoping Diagrams (VSDs) for targeted selection of beneficiaries. We conclude that the use of improved cook stoves and fuels for cooking could help in forest conservation and reduce CO2e emissions in Nigeria.