Carbon emission reductions by substitution of improved cookstoves and cattle mosquito nets in a forest-dependent community

Collection of fuelwood and its inefficient use for cooking and protecting animals from insects contribute to forest degradation and deforestation in developing countries. Assessment of fuelwood dependency can provide a basis for introducing effective measures for reducing emissions and fuelwood collection without compromising the basic needs of local people. Using a community located in Phnom Tbeng forest area in Cambodia, this case study assessed fuelwood dependency quantitatively via random surveys of 105 households and to project potential carbon emission reductions realized by the substitution of three-stone stoves with improved cooking stoves and the use of mosquito nets instead of wood burning to protect animals. Heads of households were targeted because of their main roles in daily family management. Three discounted rates were used to assess carbon prices as financial incentive for the substitution three-stone stove with improved cookstoves. We found that only 4% of the households had access to power from an independent power producer for lighting alone. Approximately 98% of the surveyed households collected firewood from nearby forests and used it as fuelwood for cooking, with the remaining 2% using both charcoal and fuelwood for this purpose. All respondents used the three-stone cooking stove for cooking. On average, fuelwood consumption was 2.0±0.1 Mg household−1  yr−1 for daily cooking or 3.8±0.2 MgCO2 of carbon emissions. Burning wood for protecting cattle from insects consumed 4.3±0.2 Mg household−1  yr−1 or 7.9±0.3 MgCO2 of carbon emissions. Using improved cookstoves and mosquito nets to protect cattle can reduce emission up to 1.1 TgCO2 for the whole study site.Substitution of conventional cookstoves with improved cookstoves and the use of mosquito nets instead of fuelwood burning could result in using less fuelwood for the same amount of energy needed and thereby result in reduction of carbon emissions and deforestation. To realize this substitution, approximately US$ 15–25 MgCO2−1 is needed depending on discount rates and amounts of emission reduction. Substitution of cookstoves will have direct impacts on the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities and on forest protection. Financial incentives under voluntary and mandatory schemes are needed to materialize this substitution.