Himalayan Rocket Stove Project

Mission

We aim to benefit the communities and environment of the Himalayas by making highly efficient fuel stoves accessible to people who typically burn wood to heat their homes and cook their food.

Rationale

By reducing the demand for wood, multiple benefits flow through to the people of the Himalayan regions that have long lasting effects on the quality of life and the sustainability of the environment on which people depend. These benefits are numerous and have various direct and indirect impacts. They are articulated in more detail throughout this site, however the main benefits are as follows:

• Wood is currently being unsustainably harvested, leading to deforestation of Himalayan wilderness. This leads to:
  • destruction of habitat for wildlife
  • lack of wood for future needs
  • soil erosion and increased devastation from flooding
  • release of CO2 to the atmosphere that would otherwise be bound up in the living tree
• Wood is harvested mostly by women and children. This means that:
  • time for other (practical and enjoyable) tasks is reduced
  • children have less time for education as they are often involved in heavy load carrying
  • health is reduced as a result of the burdensome nature of carrying heavy loads over long periods of one’s life
  • risks of accident are increased due to the treacherous terrain of the Himalayas
• Wood burnt inefficiently creates smoke.
  • smoke pollution reduces air quality and respiratory health in villages and communities
  • soot settles on snow making it melt faster due to lower reflectivity
  • smoke in the atmosphere leads to various global warming impacts