Problems of Mirt, and potentials of improved Gonzie and traditional open cook stoves in biomass consumption and end use emission in rural wooden houses of Southern Ethiopia

The efficiency of traditional open cook stoves in supplying firewood energy is usually low. Accordingly, firewood saving, improved stoves called “Mirt” made of cement and “Gonzie” made of local clay soils were made in 1980s in energy sector of Ethiopia. However, the dissemination of Mirt stove was unknowingly limited and the potential of Gonzie was less known. In this study the two improved cook stoves, Mirt and Gonzie were compared with open stoves in biomass consumption and end use emission at three agro-ecologies (lowland, midland and highland) and corresponding sample peasant associations (PA) or Kebeles (Ener Kola, Daemir and Awed) in Enemorina Ener district (county), Southern Ethiopia in 2017. At hierarchical administrative level, first district energy offices were interviewed about stoves used in PA. Then the next administrative level called PA was selected in turn to select rural households and focus groups, in order to interview about the problems of getting Mirt stoves and to test the potential of local clay soils in making Gonzie stoves. In each PA, 30% of the houses with common cooking condition, about 6 to 21 households; 3–5 pottery workers; and PA representatives were interviewed. Then, Gonzie stoves were manufactured, and biomass consumption was evaluated using controlled cooking test. The results showed that the problems in dissemination of Mirt stoves were the unaffordable cost of stoves, lack of training in using improved stoves and inappropriate size plates. The households in remote lowland and highland PAs had no knowledge about improved stoves. The overall quality of Gonzie stoves of highland and lowland PAs were comparably better than the midland PA. Curing a single Gonzie stoves consumed 1.8 to 2.0 times greater firewood than the daily requirement of a household, but lower than the firewood for other clay based utensils that consume 42 to 75 kg firewood weekly. Gonzie stoves saved 33.9 to 54.2% of the firewood used by open stoves for baking “Injera”. The reduction in end use emission from Gonzie stoves was comparable to Mirt stoves. Therefore, rural households, and local pottery makers should be trained to use and manufacture improved stoves, respectively. In cooking food and curing local clay made utensils improved stoves should be used to save wood and protect fire damage. Keywords: Agro-ecology, Firewood, Clay soils, Pottery worker