A case study of improved cook stoves in primate conservation from Democratic Republic of Congo

Human communities living near nonhuman primate habitats often depend on wood from forests for their energy needs. Improving the efficiency of local cook stoves is a potential "win-win" solution that is commonly promoted to protect forests and improve human health and development. Despite the popularity of improved stove projects in primate conservation, few outcomes have been formally published. As a result, it is currently unclear whether this approach is a wise investment of limited conservation funds. This paper describes a pilot study conducted by the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center to evaluate the potential for using improved stoves for the conservation of an important habitat for Grauer's gorillas and chimpanzees in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Community surveys and observations of human forest use revealed a heavy local reliance on forest-derived wood. Wood was the main source of fuel used in households, the most highly valued forest resource, and the primary resource extracted during forest observations. It was primarily collected by women and children. The use of traditional, inefficient three-stone hearths for cooking was also widespread. A 2-year campaign using a community-based social marketing approach resulted in an increase in improved stove installations from 18% to 78% of households in one village. After stove adoption, weekly household wood consumption was reduced by half. Campaign elements that showed promise include promotion using women's networks and intensive follow-up assessment and support. We conclude that, if scaled up, improved stoves may be a useful strategy for reducing encroachment into our target protected area but that successful implementation will require a significant long-term commitment with evaluation and oversight. It is recommended that before investing in improved stoves, primate conservation projects take long-term and evaluation requirements into consideration.