In numerous regions of Nepal, cooking is still a daily battle against smoke and physical strain. Over half of Nepal’s households still rely on biomass fuels such as firewood, dung cake (Dung cake, made from drying the manure of animals, is used as an eco-friendly source of fuel) and crop residue. 51% of Nepalese households depend on firewood, 44.3% rely on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and only 0.5% of households use electricity as their primary cooking source (National Statistics Office, 2021).
Although fuels such as firewood, dung cake and crop residue are accessible and culturally embedded, they carry steep costs that entails toxic indoor air pollution, carbon emissions, and gendered labor burdens that fall disproportionately on women and young girls. Indoor air pollution causes an estimated 8,700 deaths annually in Nepal, with children and women bearing the greatest burden. Furthermore, prolonged exposure to smoke and the burdens of fuel collection result in respiratory illnesses and reproductive health problems while perpetuating chronic time poverty (ICIMOD, 2021). This situation severely restricts women’s access to education, economic opportunities, and the ability to assume leadership roles.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identifies South Asian household cooking as a major source of black carbon emissions, a potent short-lived climate pollutant (Clean Cooking Alliance, 2018). The reliance on LPG and biomass imports not only poses challenges for public health and the environment but also undermines Nepal’s energy sovereignty. While over 90% of households in the country now have access to electricity through mini and national hydropower, the continued dependence on these imported fuels limits the potential for fully utilizing local energy resources.
Electric cooking (e-cooking), through induction stoves and electric pressure cookers, offers a transformative solution. These appliances produce no smoke and align perfectly with Nepal’s clean electricity targets. At scale, e-cooking can:
• Save time and labour for women and girls.
• Lower greenhouse gas and black carbon emissions.
• Reduce indoor air pollution and related health risks.
• Strengthen energy security by lowering LPG imports.
• Advance women’s economic empowerment and autonomy.
Despite the clear benefits of e-cooking, its adoption remains low due to affordability barriers, unreliable power supply, lack of repair facilities, and misconceptions about the compatibility of electric cooking. Many believe that electric stoves are unsuitable for traditional Nepali cooking methods, which often require long boiling or pressure cooking.
Recognizing this urgency, Prakriti Resources Centre (PRC), in partnership with Srijansheel Mahila Samaj Nepal, Angeliya Krishi Sahakari Sasntha Ltd. and Sahayatra Nepal launched an intensive campaign in Ilam, Suryodaya and Tarakeshwor municipalities to promote electric cooking. This approach extended beyond technological dissemination, introducing cost-sharing models, hands-on training and cultural sensitization to dismantle both structural and social barriers. The individual’s whose testimonials have been stated below used firewood and LPG in the past and they have adopted e-cooking after the intervention initiated by PRC and the municipalities stated earlier. The impact has been profound, reflecting on the lives that have been changed through this initiative.
Gita Bugatti, 50, spent most of her life cooking over smoky firewood hearths. The physical toll aggravated asthma, further leading to watery eyes and other health complications. Even after switching to LPG, she faced gas leaks, high costs and the burden of heavy cylinders. When PRC and Srijansheel Mahila Samaj Nepal distributed induction cooking stoves, Gita was among the first to adopt this practice. Her meals are now cooked faster, her LPG cylinder lasts a year, and her kitchen is free of toxic fumes that cause health issues. “Cooking has become clean, safe and dignified,” she says. “It’s hard to describe how I managed cooking for the family in the past.”
Subhadra Adhikari, 38, an entrepreneur and tailor, used to spend more than an hour daily cooking with LPG. With induction cooking, she has reclaimed much of that time for her business and family. “It takes less than 30 minutes for meals now,” she says. “Even the men in the house are interested and they find it easier too.” She advocates for basic repair training for women so that they are not dependent on others to fix everyday appliances.
Encouraged by her women’s group and supported by PRC’s 50-50 cost-sharing scheme, Nirmala Bhandari started e-cooking a year ago. It eased her asthma and sped up meal preparations. However, through this transformative shift, women take charge of how the meals are cooked. Hence, she asserts, “Now, women decide what is better for us in the kitchen, and we do it ourselves.”
Nepal’s journey towards universal e-cooking is challenging but achievable. In 2018, the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation released a White Paper envisioning “an electric stove in every home,” aiming for 99% electricity access by 2030, reducing households using solid fuels to 30%, and increasing per capita electricity consumption from 700 kWh in 2023/24 to 1,500 kWh (MoEWRI, 2018). However, real progress demands more than hardware. It requires:
• Inclusive policies that integrate clean cooking into local planning.
• Women’s leadership and training in the clean cooking value chain.
• Targeted subsidies and financing for low-income households.
• Local repair and after-sales services, especially in rural areas.
As Nepal positions itself as a hydropower-driven climate leader, the kitchen becomes a frontline for change, where emissions fall, health improves and women like Ms. Geeta, Ms. Subhadra, and Ms. Nirmala lead the trajectory towards a cleaner, more just future. PRC’s e-cooking initiative is not just a clean energy intervention, but it is a gender-equity accelerator, a public health solution and a climate resilience strategy. It proves that when technology is paired with inclusive policy, community engagement and cultural sensitivity, transformation is not only possible but also inevitable.
Reference:
