FCDO-backed study in Bhutan shows improved stoves can cut fuelwood use by up to 50%

Photo credit: Kinley Dorji, JSW School of Law

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 PM_2.5 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:

• Share these key findings and strengthen coordination among local and national governments, national and regional agencies and community stakeholders for further research and clean air solutions.
• Explore the scalability potential of the solutions which have been successfully tested.

Key findings:

• Improved smokeless mud stoves cut fuelwood use by up to 50% and significantly lowers exposure to harmful indoor air pollutants.
• Adaption of clean energy is influenced by gender, education and age. There is a need for targeted intervention specifically addressing gender and social issues linked to clean energy adoption.
• Heating and livestock feed preparation remain the primary sources of indoor air pollution in Haa and Lingzhi. Households are reliant on traditional fuelwood-based heating methods, particularly Bukhari stoves (a traditional wood-burning stove), despite access to renewable energy sources.
• Strong coordination among local governments, national agencies, and community stakeholders is essential to ensure that clean air solutions are both affordable and accessible, particularly for economically and socially disadvantaged groups.

Event details

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?

• Opening by His Excellency Lyonpo Gem Tshering, Honourable Minister, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Royal Government of Bhutan
• Opportunities to interview local government representatives (Haa and Lingzhi); officials from DECC, JSW School of Law, and ICIMOD experts (air pollution, gender, energy)
• Exhibition of improved energy technologies (e.g., Himalayan Rocket Stove, smokeless mud stoves) and air quality monitoring equipment
• Poster presentation on household survey and pilot study findings

Spokespersons (details provided on request):

• Tenzing Wangchuk, Registrar, JSW School of Law, Bhutan
• Kamala Gurung, Gender and Natural Resource Management Specialist, ICIMOD
• Parth Sarathi Mahapatra, Intervention Manager- Air Pollution Mitigation (Specialist), ICIMOD

Boilerplate

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