EWB-UK Research Conference | Putting Research into Practice| February 19, 2010

The Gains and Losses of Local Participation in Stove Projects: Insights from the Field

Temilade Sesan | Institute for Science and Society | University of Nottingham UK

Solid biomass charcoal, wood, dried leaves, twigs, animal dung, shrubs is the main source of cooking fuel for more than 70% of the population in subIntroduction Saharan Africa

Improved stoves: rational solutions to irrational problems?

Participation aids development of appropriate technology

Participation: theory vs. practice

Aims to increase the involvement of socially and economically marginalised people in decision-making Enhances social, political and economic freedom for individuals Little evidence of empowerment Low rates of technology adoption Questioning assumptions: who gets to participate, how, and to what ends?

1. Selection process and criteria

Selection process and criteria

Women groups are main point of entry Only a few groups selected out of scores Only a few individuals selected from within the groups Uneven participation platform practically inevitable? Unequal distribution of empowerment opportunities tends to favour more powerful individuals

2. Content of participation

Content of participation
Technical participation = training in stove manufacture and marketing One-way information flow exemplifies banking model of learning Limited actual input of local citizens in terms of process planning and project implementation Limited participation cause and effect of low levels of empowerment?

3. Participation a local priority?

Participation not Nota local priority?

Local views and expectations of participation may differ from those of organisations Pre-fieldwork: I suggested political participation was essential for empowerment Post-fieldwork: realities of subsistence livelihoods make this complicated to achieve Demand-driven participation unsustainable in the absence of motivating factors Economic, social and cultural disincentives

4. The politics of participation

The politics of participation

Internal politics within groups and communities may hinder empowerment Expressions of identity and membership can impact positively or negatively on project outcomes Cultural dictates may place restrictions on womens ability to participate in projects Group dynamics tend to reinforce inequalities

Preliminary conclusions
The fuelwood problem is not unilateral in nature and should not be addressed as such It is inextricable from the totality of peoples lived experiences in relation to issues such as poverty and food insecurity Technically defined solutions that ignore this interconnectedness will be problematic A more comprehensive approach to conception and design of stove projects is needed