E-cooking for sustainability

A robust makeover of the electricity distribution system can promote its active use at the household level.

Electricity as a clean, affordable and eco-friendly energy source is vital in Nepal. This is because indoor air pollution caused by contaminating fuels—used by 50 percent of Nepal’s population —leads to about 24,000 deaths yearly. Using electrical energy instead of inefficient wood and fossil fuels significantly curbs health risks such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute respiratory infection (ARI), lung cancer and even death. The second-most used cooking fuel is liquefied petroleum gas, but high foreign currency reserves are being invested in its imports. Switching to e-cooking can be a much-needed boost to expand the current underwhelming domestic electricity consumption and transition towards cleaner and more productive energy use.