Firewood is an important source of household energy for the rural population of many developing countries. Approximately 2.6 billion people from developing countries fulfil a majority of their basic energy demand for cooking and space heating from fuelwood, and the practice is considered to be inefficient, unhealthy, and unsustainable. This trend is expected to continue in the future, especially in rural areas of developing countries. Nepal has one of the lowest per-capita energy consumption globally. The energy use and energy access levels in Nepal are significantly below the level of basic human needs, and firewood is expected to remain the dominant cooking fuel for the foreseeable future.\nAccording to the household survey 2015/16 of Nepal, firewood is a major source of cooking fuel for more than half of the households in the country and is used by 76.5% rural households and 38.0% urban households to meet their everyday cooking energy demands. Average daily household fuelwood consumption was estimated to be 8.4 kg, giving a mean annual consumption of 3060 kg per household.\nThe proposed project activity seeks to increase access of rural and semi-urban households and communities to improved and low greenhouse gas emitting cookstoves (ICS) in Nepal. The project aims to distribute 50,000 ICS in a phased manner in 5 years. The resultant average annual GHG emission reductions from the project are estimated to be 809,648 tCO2e and the total reductions estimated in the project life are 8,096,480 tCO2e.

The proposed grouped project activity seeks to increase access of households and communities to improved cookstoves by disseminating high thermal efficiency and low greenhouse gas emitting cooking stoves known as Improved Cook Stoves (ICS) to the rural and semi-urban households of North Eastern states. Their old low efficiency and high greenhouse gas emitting stoves would be replaced. The implementation of the project activity, will result in the reduction of firewood consumption & consequent emissions from combustion leading to climate change mitigation in a sustainable manner.\nOver 80% of the population in North-East India lives in 40,000 villages. The North East region occupies 8.55% (8.6 %) of the tribal population in India. Firewood consumption pattern of three tribal communities of Meghalaya, India- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia was studied under varying ecological, socio-economic and socio-cultural conditions. Fuelwood consumption was highest to Khasi community (5.81 kg/capita/day), followed by the Garo (5.32 kg/capita/day) and Jaintia (3.90 kg/capita/day), respectively, irrespective of their socio-economic status.\nThe fuelwood is burnt for various activities such as cooking, water heating, space heating, lighting and livestock rearing, etc. Among various activities, cooking required maximum energy. The estimated growing stock is unable to sustain the rate of fuel consumption.

Agriculture is the primary activity of 70% rural households in India. It is the primary source of livelihood for about 58% of India’s population. Presently 51% of the net sown area, which contributes to 40% of total food production, is dependent on the vagaries of monsoon. Thus, there is a need for reliable irrigation systems in the country.\nThere are 21 million electric pump sets and 4.7 million diesel pump sets all over India that account for 18.5% of the country’s total energy. In order to provide greater access to modern irrigation technologies and ease this load on electrical resources, this project activity will ensure access to Solar Pumps to Indian farmers.\nThe old low efficiency and high greenhouse gas emitting electric pumps would be replaced by Solar pumps. The implementation of the project activity, will result in the reduction of consumption of grid electricity and DG sets & consequently will reduce emissions from combustion, leading to climate change mitigation in a sustainable manner.