One billion Africans being harmed by cooking pollution

One billion Africans being harmed by cooking pollution
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The International Energy Agency (IEA) has highlighted a major health and environmental crisis affecting one billion Africans who rely on open fires or hazardous fuels for cooking, Arab News reported. According to the IEA’s recent report, this practice generates greenhouse gas emissions comparable to the global aviation industry and causes severe indoor and outdoor air pollution.

The report reveals that four out of five households in Africa still use wood, charcoal, agricultural waste, or manure for cooking, exposing them to fine particles that penetrate the lungs and cause respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. An estimated 815,000 premature deaths occur annually in Africa due to poor indoor air quality linked to these cooking methods, with women and children disproportionately affected. They also spend significant time gathering fuel, limiting opportunities for education and paid work.

The IEA emphasizes that the problem can be solved with an annual investment of $2 billion—just 0.1% of global energy investment. Solutions include solar-powered electricity, renewable gas, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which, while a fossil fuel, is less damaging than deforestation caused by fuelwood collection.

Following a 2024 IEA summit that raised $2.2 billion in commitments, progress is underway, including stove factories in Malawi and affordable stove programs in Uganda and Ivory Coast. The report projects that widespread adoption of clean cooking methods in sub-Saharan Africa by 2040 could prevent 4.7 million premature deaths and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 540 million tons annually.