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We now breathe in fresh air because of the many growing trees around
Soil erosion reduced immensely because of the growing trees that help hold back the waters
The environmental impact of the DelAgua stove programme is very significant.Â
2.4 billion people still cook over polluting fires, a major contributor to carbon emissions, deforestation and climate change (WHO). Cooking over open fires or inefficient stoves emits one-quarter of global black carbon emissions, the second largest contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide.
The DelAgua stove uses 71% less wood than traditional methods and burns cleanly with little smoke.
This is particularly apparent when visiting a village which has had a distribution and those that have not. A village that has not had a distribution tends to be clouded with a thick layer of smog from all the wood that has been burnt, which is in stark contrast to a village where recipients have benefitted from our stoves, where there is less smog and cleaner air.Â
The deforestation crisis is driving climate vulnerability in sub-saharan Africa.
Across Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia, wood is not a choice it is a necessity. Over 90% of Rwanda’s rural population, 79% of Sierra Leone’s, and 90% of The Gambia’s depend on firewood to cook every meal, every day. The demand is staggering, Rwanda alone burns through over six million tons of firewood a year, while The Gambia consumes more than 714,000 tons annually, with wood making up 80% of the country’s total energy use. Forests simply cannot grow fast enough to keep up, and the gap between supply and demand continues to widen.
The cost of this is written into the landscape of all three countries.
In Rwanda and Sierra Leone both hilly, densely populated, and battered by heavy rainfall, stripping trees from slopes has made landslides increasingly deadly, as there are no roots left to hold the soil in place. Sierra Leone’s 2017 Freetown mudslide, which killed over a thousand people, was a consequence of exactly this. In The Gambia, deforestation has left only 9% of the country’s original forests standing, exposing low-lying communities to worsening floods, coastal erosion, and creeping desertification. In all three countries, the act of cooking a meal is quietly dismantling the land itself.
The DelAgua stove reduces wood consumption by 71% which means deforestation is reduced significantly.
This minimises the number of landslides, particularly during the rainy season, maintains road networks, saves homes from being damaged and prevents a crop harvest from being inundated with mud thereby reducing crop yield for that season.Â
Independent research shows that 97% of beneficiaries in Rwanda and 85% of beneficiaries in Sierra Leone have experienced climate shocks in the last 2 years, including extreme rainfall, drought and flooding.Â
DelAgua has a climate resilience score of 98% in Rwanda and 89% in Sierra Leone indicating the positive impact of the Live Well stove on aspects of household resilience related to climate shocks. This is based on beneficiaries’ preparedness, ability to cope, ability to recover and time to recover because of the Live Well Stove.
Research conducted by 60 Decibels, Rwanda Report and Sierrea Leone Report.
Reducing deforestation is key in maintaining soil quality.
Trees are the first line of defence in reducing harmful soil erosion: taking away trees increases soil run off which in turn reduces the nutrient value of the soil for cultivation. And more trees allows greater levels of CO2 to be captured from the atmosphere.
We now have many trees in our environment which helps to conserve it
The project is funded by the sale of carbon credits. Help combat climate change, provide more life-changing stoves, offset your carbon footprint and buy carbon credits directly from DelAgua.
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