Promoting clean household fuels among the rural poor : evaluation of the Deepam scheme in Andhra Pradesh (Anglais)

In 1999 the State Government of Andhra Pradesh launched the Deepam scheme, under which the government covered the cylinder connection fee for starting LPG service to those families classified as being below the poverty line. The scheme clearly facilitated...  Voir la suite In 1999 the State Government of Andhra Pradesh launched the Deepam scheme, under which the government covered the cylinder connection fee for starting LPG service to those families classified as being below the poverty line. The scheme clearly facilitated the uptake of LPG by the rural poor. However, this study found that biomass remains the main cooking fuel for the majority of Deepam beneficiaries. The economics of LPG service, with its relatively high operating cost, is not favorable for cash-strapped rural households. Even with the cylinder connection fee waiver, the high costs of cylinder refills confined LPG largely to incidental use. The average consumption level of LPG found in the study was 2.9 kg per month against a minimum of 7 kg required to meet the majority of cooking needs, limiting the health and other social benefits of LPG uptake as well as the potential for commercially viable LPG businesses.On the positive side, the convenience introduced by even this limited use of LPG in rural AP, and especially the amount of time saved for the cooks, should not be under-estimated, even if the overall consumption of fuelwood does not decline markedly. The Deepam beneficiaries universally cited time savings in cooking as the primary benefit of LPG use.  Réduire