Rock Beds: A Simple Way to Improve Open-Fire Cookstoves
What Are Rock Beds?
Rock beds are an easy and cost-effective way to improve the efficiency of open-fire cookstoves (three-stone setups). By placing 8-10 small rocks on the ground under the firewood, the rocks elevate the firewood, allowing air to flow underneath. This simple change delivers remarkable results:
Improved Efficiency: Fuel consumption is reduced by about one-third.
Reduced Emissions: Emissions are cut in half, contributing to cleaner indoor air quality and environmental benefits.
Proven Impact
Extensive testing conducted by SNV (Netherlands Development Organization) has shown the following:
High Adoption Rates: A survey in Kenya found that 85% of households who learned about rock beds adopted them and continued using them months later.
Significant Emission Reductions: Using a conservative regional estimate of non-renewable biomass (36%), each rock bed reduces approximately 2.4 tons of CO2 equivalent over five years. This does not account for reductions in black carbon.
Cost-Effectiveness: Training costs amount to just USD 0.14 per adopting household, with a mitigation cost of USD 0.06 per ton of CO2 equivalent.
Widespread Adoption
Millions of families across Africa have been trained to use rock beds through partnerships with organizations like the Catholic and Anglican Churches. Women, the primary users of cookstoves, have particularly appreciated the benefits of rock beds, which improve cooking efficiency and reduce health risks.
Training Resources
Training videos are available in various languages to make the adoption of rock beds accessible to diverse communities. Click your language below to find training video in your language.e.
A script for the training video is also available.
Research and Documentation
The results of extensive testing and surveys are documented in the following resources:
Join the Movement
The adoption of rock beds is a powerful step toward sustainable cooking practices that benefit communities and the environment. Explore more resources and training materials at WasteFree23.org.
For further details and resources, check out the following links:
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