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NICARAGUA COOK STOVE PROJECT

Read the Brochure

traditional cooking area

Traditional Stove

 
improved stove installed as part of intervention program

Improved Stove

Open Fire Cooking Pits

More than half of the world’s population relies on open fire cooking pits to meet basic energy needs. Indoor cook stoves can result in extremely high levels of indoor air pollution. Indoor air pollution is a phenomenon that kills 1.6 million people yearly on a global level. Improved stove designs have the potential to reduce indoor air pollution exposure; however, evaluations of improved stoves are limited.

Cooking That Kills -
one student's commentary

The goal of this study is to assess the effectiveness of stove interventions.

Cook Stove Intervention

This project is a community cook stove intervention in a neighborhood called El Fortin, just outside of Granada, Nicaragua. The study will address a critical global environmental health problem by building community partnerships. This project is also contributing to the education and training of undergraduate and graduate students. Read more details at Colorado State University Students Study Health Impacts of Cleaner-Burning Cookstoves in Nicaragua.

For more information, contact Dr. Jennifer Peel, (970) 491-6391.

little girl playing in bucket2008 Baseline Evaluation

The baseline evaluation of a population using traditional cook stoves was completed during the summer of 2008. The participating families then received the improved wood-burning stoves in August and September 2008.

2010 Return Trip

Students returned to El Fortin in December 2010 to perform exposure and health assessments to determine if the improved stoves had a positive impact on the participant’s overall health. Fundraising efforts are currently underway for future return trips. Please help fund this project with an online donation.

This project is a unique and valuable experience for the students, who use the project as an internship and/or receive research credits for their work. This study aims to involve undergraduate students, in applied and experimental research projects in this important area of global health and clean energy research.



Department Contact Information:

Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences
1681 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, CO 80523

Phone: (970) 491-7038
Fax: (970) 491-2940