Urban Household Energy Use: Analyzing Correlates of Charcoal and Firewood Consumption in Kampala City, Uganda.

Abel Nzabona,Peter Kisaakye,John Bosco Asiimwe,Richard Tuyiragize,Christian Kakuba,Pam R Factor Litvak

doi:10.1155/2021/5904201

Abel Nzabona, Peter Kisaakye + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/5904201

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Abstract

Charcoal and firewood contribute to greenhouse gas emissions in rural and urban areas. Although there is information about energy types used for cooking in Kampala urban environment, less is known about the correlates of charcoal and firewood consumption. This study investigated the predictors of charcoal and firewood use for cooking using the 2014 Uganda Census data set. Analysis was conducted on 41,250 households in Kampala City. Multinomial logistic regression model was fitted to predict charcoal and firewood use. Findings indicate that older household heads were more likely to use firewood than their younger counterparts. Charcoal and firewood were more likely to be used in households whose household heads were females, married and formerly married, and lived in dwelling units with two and more rooms. Conversely, chances of using charcoal and firewood decreased with the level of education, living in detached house and flat, and residing in shelter with cement screed or tile/concrete. The findings have several implications including long-term planning for improving formal education conditions, strengthening female empowerment, and upgrading dwelling conditions of the households in Kampala City.

Highlights

Charcoal and firewood dominate the sources of energy used for cooking in developing countries [1]
The use of woodfuel in urban areas may be less prevalent in comparison with rural areas, the level is quite high even in Kampala City, the nation’s capital and largest commercial center
We hypothesize that the endogenous and exogenous factors influence the choice of urban household source of energy for cooking. us, this study was set out to test three hypotheses: first, charcoal is less likely to be used in households headed by persons of higher levels of education compared with their counterparts with no formal education

Summary

Introduction

Charcoal and firewood dominate the sources of energy used for cooking in developing countries [1]. E reliance on biomass for cooking and heating purposes exposes many women and young children in developing countries to high levels of indoor air pollution To manage these challenges, United Nations has continued to advocate for affordable and clean energy. The use of charcoal and firewood happens in urban environment, the prevalence in Kampala City is substantially high in spite of rising electricity coverage [3]. E main objective of the study was to examine the correlates of urban household use of traditional energy (charcoal and firewood) for cooking in Kampala City, Uganda. Broad categories are suggested, namely, traditional fuels (animal waste, agricultural waste, and firewood), transition fuels (charcoal, kerosene, and coal), and advanced fuels (biofuels, LPG, and electricity) [2]. We hypothesize that the endogenous and exogenous factors influence the choice of urban household source of energy for cooking. Firewood is more likely to be used in households headed by females than those headed by males, and last, charcoal is less likely to be used in households living in tenements (one-roomed shelters) than those residing in detached houses

Materials and Methods

Results

Conclusion and Implications