Experiences with Assisted Task

De acuerdo con las conclusiones expuestas en el apartado anterior sobre los distintos aspectos analizados en esta tesis doctoral, se sugieren una serie de estudios que pueden ser relevantes para completar los resultados aquí presentados:

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 Realizar estudios más profundos sobre la inclusión de las soluciones de cocinado y la consideración del género en las estrategias de lucha contra el cambio climático (INDC) en países donde el uso de fuentes tradicionales de la biomasa sea mayoritario. Éstos deberán profundizar el análisis que se ha presentado en este documento complementándolo con un análisis de los impactos observados en la igualdad de género en proyectos registrados en mercados de carbono y, a ser posible, realizar un estudio de caso en un país donde los vínculos entre el acceso a fuentes modernas de energía para cocinar, el cambio climático y el género esté considerado de manera adecuada. Estos estudios podrían completarse con la realización de análisis de cómo los diferentes actores involucrados en estos vínculos consideran que las soluciones de cocinado deberían introducirse en dichas estrategias.

 Sobre el potencial de mitigación del cambio climático de las soluciones de cocinado, realizar estudios de laboratorio que contribuyan a ampliar el conocimiento sobre la emisión de GEI y BC de distintos modelos. Además, estos estudios se deberán complementar con el desarrollo de metodologías de medición en terreno de los mismos que permitan un seguimiento sencillo y un conocimiento de la reducción real y con la realización de análisis a nivel paisaje de la renovabilidad real de la leña en cada caso.

 Realizar estudios del papel de las soluciones de cocinado en las estrategias de adaptación al cambio climático.

 Realizar de estudios sobre la adopción de las soluciones de cocinado en el tiempo por parte de distintos tipos de usuario. En estos estudios se deberán centrar especialmente en el papel que tienen las mujeres en dicha adopción y si existe un reemplazo de las cocinas una vez estos terminan su vida útil. Éste normalmente se obvia en la consideración de las soluciones de cocinado en la lucha contra el cambio climático a pesar de ser un requisito fundamental para que las soluciones tengan una contribución real en la mitigación del cambio climático.

 Realizar estudios a nivel hogar en proyectos reales en aquellos aspectos donde existe menor cuerpo de conocimiento, como son la reducción en el consumo de combustible, el tiempo empleado en su obtención y el tiempo empleado en cocinar. Además estos potenciales impactos son aquellos que afectan, junto con los impactos en salud, principalmente a las mujeres y que pueden tener un papel relevante en la igualdad de género.

 Realizar estudios sobre la relación existente entre las características socio-culturales y constructivas de los hogares y la contaminación intra-domiciliar de manera sistemática. Esto permitiría establecer estrategias paralelas a la instalación de soluciones de cocinado para reducir la contaminación.

 Realizar un estudio similar sobre los vínculos aquí estudiados en el resto de la cadena de valor de los servicios de soluciones de cocinado, prestando especial atención a los potenciales impactos en el empoderamiento de género que podría tener la inclusión de mujeres. Estos estudios deberían contemplar análisis comparativos entre proyectos donde sí se incluye a mujeres con otros en los que no para estudiar si existen diferencias en la adopción de las soluciones y en la contribución al cambio climático entre los distintos casos.

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Conclusions and

further research

7.1.

Conclusions

At the beginning of this document, the main aim of this PhD thesis was set: to stablish linkages between access to energy, climate change and gender in developing countries through an improved cookstoves project.

The comprehensive approach adopted on this research has allowed stablishing the impacts of the implementation of improved cookstoves in a real case on Senegal, The Gambia and Guinea Bissau. Specifically, the study obtained the following results:

• A characterization of fuelwood gathering and cooking practices, with special attention to gender roles within families. This has allowed establishing time and cost savings needed for cooking.

• An estimation of carbon emissions reduction thanks to the implementation of improved cookstoves.

• The measurement and interpretation of indoor air pollution, though the concentration of CO and PM, before and after the implementation of the improved cookstoves. • An estimation of the health impacts, presenting them as the averted cases of ALRI and

COPD, disaggregated by gender.

• A cost-benefit analysis including all the previous impacts in economic terms in order to allow their comparison.

Based on this, results clearly show, through a real project, how cooking solutions projects have potential impacts at same time on the fight against climate change and on gender equality. Moreover, the analysis done on this thesis allows deepening on these linkages and not only describing them.

Firstly, the characterization of fuelwood gathering and cooking practices determined that these activities fall mainly in women. The case study clearly shows how the implementation of improved cookstoves means a great reduction in the time spent in them or in the economic costs in case the fuelwood is purchased. This reduction has a direct relationship to women's opportunities to undertake other types of activities. Because of their role in these activities, women, besides being the main beneficiaries of the impacts of improved cookstoves, also play a key role in the success of this type of interventions, both in the initial adoption of the new solution and in its sustainable use over time.

Secondly, the estimation of carbon emissions reduction demonstrated the contribution of improved cookstoves to the fight against climate change. In this case, it has only been possible

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to demonstrate the reduction associated with the decrease in fuel consumption and not that associated to the decrease in SLCP emission, especially the BC. For the emissions reduction to occur and to maintain it over time it is fundamental the initial adoption of the new solution and in its sustainable use over time, where women play a key role as already mentioned.

Thirdly, the indoor air pollution study allowed us to know the concentration of selected pollutants before and after installation and therefore the cases averted in diseases associated with the installation of improved cookstoves. Regarding the reduction of indoor air pollution the results do not indicate that these are statistically significant so the cases averted should be taken with caution. Likewise, they also point out that in most cases concentrations of CO and PM are higher than concentrations established on WHO guidelines. These results are similar to those of other international studies on similar improved cookstoves. In addition, these results have also contributed to provide scientific data to project managers in order to improve the performance of improved cookstoves in this area with another set of strategies related to socio-cultural and constructive characteristics of households.

Fourthly, the cost-benefit analysis permitted to obtain several conclusions in a global way and to analyse comparatively all the analysed impacts. The result set without a doubt that this intervention generates benefits that far exceed costs both at the household level and at the level of the intervention as a whole. It is also clear that those impacts attributable mostly to women are those that contribute most to these benefits. In another vein, this analysis also contributed to the development of strategies for disseminating improved cookstoves in subsequent phases of the project.

In addition, this thesis has also contributed in different sections to expand existing scientific knowledge in some areas. There is a need to carry out studies at household level of cooking solutions project. Regarding the geographic area, despite the high incidence of traditional uses of biomass for cooking in West Africa, the availability of studies on potential impacts of cooking solutions projects is scarce.

Lastly, and taking into account all of the above, this thesis not only demonstrate that there are a number of links between access to energy for cooking, climate change and gender equality in terms of impacts on the improvement of living conditions of women. It also demonstrate that women also play a key role in achieving carbon emissions reduction and sustaining them over time. This may have a special impact on their consideration as active stakeholders in climate change strategies, not only as beneficiaries of the co-benefits of mitigation projects or main beneficiaries in adaptation projects.