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Improved stoves for space heating tested in Bhutan’s Haa district slash fuelwood use by up to 50%, according to initial findings from a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) funded action research project implemented by ICIMOD and the Jigme Singye Wangchuck (JSW) School of Law. The research compared traditional methods against Himalayan Rocket Stoves for heating and smokeless mud stoves for livestock feed cooking in Katsho and Uesu Gewogs, revealing significant reductions in PM2.5 and Black Carbon emissions.
Likewise, a household survey conducted in 305 households of Haa and Lingzhi shows that households are increasingly adopting clean energy like LPG, induction and electric cookers, and practicing ‘fuel stacking’. However, firewood continues to be the primary energy source for residential space heating and livestock feed cooking in Haa. In Lingzhi, there is a continued reliance on yak dung almost in equal proportion for residential space heating and other household activities. The use of firewood and yak dung not only exposes women and young children to severe health risks due to long hours of exposure to pollutants in poorly ventilated households but also imposes the drudgery of fuel collection on them.
The findings of this action research align with those of a joint study conducted the Royal Government of Bhutan and UNICEF (2024), which identified household energy use as the largest contributor (32.8%) to air pollution, followed by industry (13.9%), anthropogenic dust (10.6%), agriculture (10.2%), and the energy sector (8.2%).
While these findings are based on a limited number of samples and should be considered preliminary, they highlight the significant potential of improved stove designs in reducing household air pollution associated with space heating and livestock feed preparation. To confirm and build on these results, a broader study involving sampling of a larger number of improved smokeless mud stoves installation is being planned. These early insights point to a valuable opportunity for scalable interventions aimed at improving rural air quality and public health.
ICIMOD’s FCDO project – Himalayan Resilience and Enabling Action Programme (HI-REAP) and JSW School of Law are co-organising a national workshop from 4-5 August 2025 in Thimphu to:
Event title: National consultation workshop on bridging air quality, health equity and clean energy
Date: 4 – 5 August 2025 | Venue: Thimphu, Bhutan
Link to register: https://forms.office.com/r/rFun4hjW0U
Why attend?
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), based in Kathmandu, Nepal, is an international organisation established in 1983, that is working to make this critical region greener, more inclusive and climate resilient.
The Himalayan Resilience Enabling Action Programme (HI-REAP) is an ICIMOD project working to promote Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for socio-ecological resilience, low-carbon economies, and improved air quality in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal, and building on knowledge and learning from China. HI-REAP is a nine-year programme, funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), to transform the lives and livelihoods, and reduce exposure to risks, of millions of people in the region.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Neraz Tuladhar, Media Officer, ICIMOD Email: media@icimod.org
Sushmita Kunwar, Communications Officer (HI-REAP-FCDO), ICIMOD Email: Sushmita.Kunwar@icimod.org
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