A methodological framework for assessing development solutions: application to wood fuel challenges in Nigeria

Area of Science:

• Development studies
• Environmental science
• Public health
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Background:

• Development interventions often create co-benefits and trade-offs across multiple SDGs.
• Current SDG assessments focus on targets, not the solutions' broader impacts.
• Evaluating solutions' SDG interactions is crucial for effective policy.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce a solutions-oriented methodology to assess development intervention impacts.
• Apply this methodology to wood fuel cooking challenges in Nigeria.
• Identify co-benefits, trade-offs, and barriers of wood fuel solutions.

Main Methods:

• Rapid evidence assessment.
• Stakeholder workshop.
• Analysis of 13 wood fuel-related solutions (fuelwood availability, alternative technologies, external interventions).

Main Results:

• Solutions increasing fuelwood availability address environmental/social issues but not health.
• Alternative fuels/technologies face barriers: affordability, market access, cultural acceptance.
• Data limitations necessitate an iterative evaluation process.

Conclusions:

• A solutions-based approach facilitates context-specific, cross-sectoral planning.
• No universal solution exists; interventions require multi-sector collaboration and governance.
• Integrating SDG interactions into policy requires balancing competing priorities for equitable outcomes.