The Nepal Weekly 
April 5, 2022
Access to clean cooking solutions for all Nepali households has been taken by Nepal Government as an important task. So as ICSs (Improved Cook Stoves – made by mud and brick, and metal), using of biomass with efficiency, biogas, and cooking in electricity are the prioritised technologies brought into interventions.
In the later phase, with view to avoid indoor pollution, drudgery reduction and to utilise increased generation of electricity in the country focus has been shifted to promote electric cooking. Moreover, the government has been stretching national grid of electricity transmission to almost all households. So far 93% of households have been accessed to electricity by the grid connection, according to governmental sources.
In such an improved and encouraged situation for clean cooking solutions and access to maximum population, Clean Cooking Explorer, an online tool has been launched the other day in Kathmandu amidst an event participated in by experts and professionals.
The event was organized by Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), in partnership with the Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA), World Resources Institute, Nepal Open University, Kartoza, and KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Member of National Planning Commission Dr.Surendra Labh Karna was the chief guest of the programme and presided over by Dr. Madhusudhan Adhikari, the executive director of AEPC.
Dr. Karna had launched the tool on the occasion. He in his remarks said that this is highly important for sharing information regarding clean cooking in Nepal, He said that promoting clean cooking has many advantages for Nepal including it helps to reduce the impact of climate change, saving the lives of people by reducing traditional energy and reduce Nepal’s foreign trade imbalance as well by using clean energy generated in the country.
In order to achieve SDG’s goal, the Nepal Government had announced year 2018 t0 2028 as the “Decade of Energy and Hydropower”, he added.
In line with the same connection, Nepal Government has set ambitious clean cooking targets that include the adoption of electric cooking by 25% of households nationwide by 2030. The availability of relevant data and tools can play a significant role in promoting clean cooking throughout Nepal to achieve its clean cooking targets. Moreover, location-specific data allows the development of comprehensive and regional-specific support and decision-making with the integration of information related to supply and demand.
Ms. Karuna Bajracharya, Manager of Clean Cooking Alliance Nepal, in her welcome remarks, said that the Global Launching of the clean cooking explorer for Nepal is an important step to achieving the target to provide clean cooking to all the people of Nepal.
Ms. Dymphna van der Lans, Clean Cooking Alliance, also addressed the program through video remarks. As the availability of relevant data and tools can play a significant role in promoting clean cooking throughout Nepal to achieve its clean cooking targets, the global launching is important, she added.
Addressing the programme, vice-chancellor of Nepal Open University Shilu Bajracharya said that working in collaboration with many organizations also helps the university in improving its research capability. So as working for cleaning cooking is part of such noble assignments.
Dr. Madhusudhan Adhikari, the Executive Director of AEPC elaborated the importance of clean cooking solutions in different aspects of the socio-economics, climate change and balance of trade as well. He highlighted AEPC activities for the success in promotion of clean cooking solutions.
Mr. Nawaraj Dhakal, Deputy ED of AEPC also had spoken on the occasion.
A training programme for the experts and professionals engaged in the clean cooking activities was also organised as a part of launching of the online tool
The Clean Cooking Explorer is the first of its kind online, open-source, and interactive geospatial data platform for accelerating clean cooking access in Nepal. The spatial platform integrates and supports analysis of geospatial datasets related to both the potential demand and supply of clean cooking services, allowing for data-driven planning, coordination, and decision-making to support the uptake and adoption of clean cooking. The tool will play an important role in helping the Government of Nepal achieve its ambitious clean cooking target, which include 25% of households using electric cooking by 2030.
The Clean Cooking Explorer supports:
1. Strategic decision making and spatially specific investment planning related to clean cooking options: Organizations and agencies can use the platform to identify areas where the uptake of clean cooking should be prioritized based on location-specific data on demand, supply, and environment and through geospatial suitability analysis.
2. Expansion of clean cooking markets: Providers of clean cooking technologies can use the platform to better assess areas where their customers are likely to be located and where there is potential concentration of demand.
3. Data-driven coordination across all levels of government – federal, provincial, and local: The platform functions as a data repository which synthesizes upto-date location specific information relevant for various stakeholders.
Thus, the explorer, among others, provides location-specific data which allows the development of comprehensive and regional specific support and decision-making with the integration of information related to supply and demand. (By R.P. Narayan)
