Sweet nectar of the Gaia: Lessons from Ethiopia's “Project Gaia”

Though initiated only at smaller scales so far, “Project Gaia” offers an innovative Ethiopian model for using byproducts from the sugar industry to create an ethanol fuel that can be utilized by cleaner burning cookstoves, predominately internally displaced refugees. Backed by the Shell Foundation and a collection of NGOs, Project Gaia has distributed almost 4000 ethanol combusting stoves throughout refugee camps in Ethiopia. After summarizing the research methods utilized by the authors and introducing readers to the energy situation in Ethiopia, this study describes the history, benefits, and challenges of Project Gaia. Though the number of distributed stoves is small, they have lessened the burden of collecting fuelwood for Ethiopian refugees, reduced deforestation around refugee camps, displaced greenhouse gas emissions, and improved the health of cooks and children—all for roughly one-third the cost of kerosene, the most prevalent substitute fuel for cooking. However, if Project Gaia is to continue to deliver these benefits, a pernicious set of educational, political, and logistical barriers must be overcome. The final part of the study details these barriers, and it concludes by pointing out the significance of government consistency, technological appropriateness, and the coupling of energy services with commercial enterprises for efforts like Project Gaia.

► Project Gaia distributes ethanol cookstoves throughout refugee camps in Ethiopia. ► It has lessened household fuelwood burdens and reduced deforestation. ► If it is to continue, a set of barriers must be overcome.