Development Concern is relatively a new initiative in the most backward province (Balochistan) of Pakistan. This province is the richest part of Pakistan as far as natural resources are concerned and main source of natural gas supply for the whole country is also located in one of the districts of Balochistan. But unfortunately, the majority of the citizens of this province are deprived of this natural resource. Hence, they are forced to consume other fuels which emit smoke and carbon monoxide. The use of these fuels cause health hazards for them but they are left with no other option except to use wood, animal waste and plant wastes. Development Concern (DC) started a campaign in the area of Pishin (where natural gas supply has yet to reach) for the use of clean fuels and started raising awareness among household members about the hazardous effects of using smoke causing fuels. So far, 103 households have switched to clean fuels like LPG. However, DC has limited resources and technical knowledge about the other features and dimensions of using smoke-free fuels. So the learning process and organizational growth is an on-going process and we want to enhance our capacity in this regard so that we can implement appropriate interventions.
Contact Information
Pakistan
Our Experience And Interest In The Four PCIA Central Focus Areas
In our target area, mainly the women of the house are responsible for using the fuels for cooking and heating purposes but they are not educated and also limited mobility. The men are traditional Pushtoons and they do not allow their women to take any decisions about the use of fuels at homes becasue this decision is directly associated with the cost. People have very meagre resources and they cannot afford to buy such expensive fuels like LPG, however; some families have switched toward using LPG with assistance from Development Concern.
Balochistan is located in a mountenous region without adequate infrastructure. Households have difficulty accessing markets, and the corporate sector, which is primarily responsible for supplying clean fuels to housheolds, is not motivated to invest in this area due to low population density.
This area has extreme weather coniditons and people live in small, mud houses. They also use their stoves as heaters and in winter, the biggest problem is to keep the premises warm. Smoke is not properly ventilated as the local households perceive this to require more fuel and heat loss. DC is about to start another awareness campaign focusing on the need of ventilation and standardization of cooking and heating technology so that they can save fuel as well as themselves from the hazzards of smoke emissions, including carbon monoxide. However, DC needs to build it's capacity first so that they deliver interventions in accordance with international standards.
Unfortuantely, DC has no expertise to assess the indoor air pollution and health monitoring at household level.
Relevant Publications or Studies
None noted
Our Contribution to the Partnership
The work of Development Concern is a first step in the field of household energy, health, and indoor air pollution. The organization is interested to gain knowledge, skills and technical and financial assistance for enhancing the effectiveness of it's initiatives in it's target areas. In fact, DC plans to develop models that can be replicated in different parts of the country.
