Factors influencing rural household adoption of improved clean cook stoves: a case study of Kisoro District

Abstract

There is intense need for environmental conservation and most households in developing countries use traditional stoves for cooking which leads to over-exploitation of wooden vast areas that were once highly productive in terms of biomass yield. The objective of the study was to determine the factors influencing rural household adoption of improved clean cook stoves and a cross sectional study design was used. The study used primary data that was collected through an online questionnaire that was filled by 427 individuals from various counties in Kisoro district. From the study, the majority of the participants were males (60%) and the rest were females (40%). Analysis was done using frequency distribution, percentages and chi-square. From the bivariate analysis, income level of the respondent, gender of the respondent, price of wood fuel and education level had a significant effect on the choice of adoption of improved cook stoves while age and family size had no significant effect on the choice of adoption of improved clean cook stoves at 5% level of significance. The study recommends the government to encourage women engagement in the decision-making process and recognizing their preferences and needs can increase the likelihood of clean cook stove adoption unlike men. The government should subsidize prices of improved clean cook stoves in order to increase their adoption among households in Kisoro district. The government should introduce heavy punishments for individuals who cut down trees for wood fuel so as to promote the use of improved clean stoves in Kisoro district. The government should provide free education at all levels to individuals to increase the adoption of improved clean cook stoves among the households in Kisoro district. Household heads should try by all means to have a stream of income into their pockets and those with low income, the government should give them start-up capital to begin some small businesses which will earn for them on monthly, weekly and daily basis so as to promote the adoption of improved clean cook stoves in Kisoro district.