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Saving Africa's tropical forests through energy transition: A randomized controlled trial in Tanzania

Author

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  • Alem, Yonas
  • Ruhinduka, Remidius D.
Abstract
The production of charcoal to meet cooking needs of urban households is one of the main causes of deforestation and degradation of Africa's tropical forests, which offer significant carbon sequestration capacity to the global economy. In collaboration with a reputable local microfinance institution, we designed a randomised controlled trial in urban Tanzania and offered LPG stoves through subsidy and on credit to measure their impact on charcoal consumption and the corresponding reduction in deforestation. We also investigate the impact of the stoves on cooking time of women, who are the default cooks of the household. We find that, relative to households in the control group, adoption of LPG stoves reduced charcoal consumption by about 30% in the treatment group 15 months after the intervention. This corresponds to an average reduction in deforestation of 0.04 ha/household/year. However, providing subsidies for stove purchases resulted in a larger reduction in charcoal use (38%) than did providing access on credit (27%) with the corresponding likely reduction in deforestation by 0.05 and 0.03 ha/household/year respectively. A social cost-benefit analysis suggests that the cost of both programs is far below the benefits of the averted carbon dioxide CO2 due to possible reduction in deforestation. A carefully conducted controlled cooking test shows that cooking with LP gas is 50% cheaper than cooking with charcoal and it reduces cooking time by about 44% - welfare effects clearly indicating that LPG is cost-effective to the household as well. We highlight the importance of relaxing households' financial constraints and improving access to credit to encourage urban households to switch to cleaner energy sources and save the remaining forest resources of Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • Alem, Yonas & Ruhinduka, Remidius D., 2020. "Saving Africa's tropical forests through energy transition: A randomized controlled trial in Tanzania," Ruhr Economic Papers 885, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:rwirep:885
    DOI: 10.4419/96973024
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    Cited by:

    1. Farzana Afridi & Sisir Debnath & Taryn Dinkelman & Komal Sareen, 2023. "Time for Clean Energy? Cleaner Fuels and Women’s Time in Home Production," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 37(2), pages 283-304.
    2. Alem, Yonas, 2021. "Mitigating climate change through sustainable technology adoption: Insights from cookstove interventions," Ruhr Economic Papers 907, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    3. Alem, Yonas & Hassen, Sied & Köhlin, Gunnar, 2018. "Decision-making within the Household: The Role of Autonomy and Differences in Preferences," Working Papers in Economics 724, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    4. Alem, Yonas & Hassen, Sied & Köhlin, Gunnar, 2023. "Decision-making within the household: The role of division of labor and differences in preferences," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 207(C), pages 511-528.
    5. Alem, Yonas, 2021. "Mitigating Climate Change through Sustainable Technology Adoption: Insights from Cookstove Interventions," EfD Discussion Paper 21-3, Environment for Development, University of Gothenburg.
    6. Soviadan, Mawussi Kossivi & Ahmed, Osama & Kubik, Zaneta & Enete, Anselm Anibueze & Okoye, Chukwuemeka Uzoma & Glauben, Thomas, 2024. "Evaluating the impact of improved technology adoption in traditional poultry farming on potential outcomes of farmers: Evidence from rural Togo," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 10(1).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    charcoal; deforestation; carbon dioxide; LPG stoves; liquidity constraint; credit;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • H31 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Household
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • Q23 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Forestry
    • Q51 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Valuation of Environmental Effects

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