Transforming household energy practices to reduce climate risks: charcoal use in Lusaka, Zambia

This research paper outlines an approach to understanding household cooking preferences in poor communities in Lusaka, Zambia, to improve the success of clean-cookstove interventions and reduce climate risks associated with charcoal use.

• The use of charcoal for cooking and heating in urban Lusaka creates health and environmental issues and hinders community adaptation to climate change. Charcoal production reduces the number of mature trees available for shade against rising temperatures, which subsequently increases the surface runoff of fresh water resources.
• Climate change is expected to impact the growth of woodlands that provide the majority of charcoal, potentially making the fuel more difficult to access. Consequently, reducing charcoal consumption can mitigate the likely impacts of climate change on impoverished communities.
• To change energy behavior at scale, the author suggests policy and technical solutions based on household needs, including electricity price re-structuring to lower tariffs for the poor, simple solar water heating devices, and locally produced improved cookstoves that resemble existing mbaula stoves.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2013). Transforming household energy practices to reduce climate risks: charcoal use in Lusaka, Zambia. https://www.sei.org/publications/transforming-household-energy-practices-to-reduce-climate-risks-charcoal-use-in-lusaka-zambia/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Transforming household energy practices to reduce climate risks: charcoal use in Lusaka, Zambia. 2013. https://www.sei.org/publications/transforming-household-energy-practices-to-reduce-climate-risks-charcoal-use-in-lusaka-zambia/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Transforming household energy practices to reduce climate risks: charcoal use in Lusaka, Zambia |date=12 March 2013 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/transforming-household-energy-practices-to-reduce-climate-risks-charcoal-use-in-lusaka-zambia/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2013transforming, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Transforming household energy practices to reduce climate risks: charcoal use in Lusaka, Zambia}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2013}, month = mar, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/transforming-household-energy-practices-to-reduce-climate-risks-charcoal-use-in-lusaka-zambia/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }