Urban Poverty and Household Adoption of Clean Cookstoves in Ghana.

Abstract

Abstract
Adoption of clean cookstoves (CCS) is a valuable strategy to combat climate change as it directly supports the attainment of other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably SDG 3 and SDG 7. The Government of Ghana has collaborated with various development agencies to promote the adoption of CCSs as a strategy to address energy poverty. However, the adoption of CCSs has been very slow. Moreover, rising levels of urban poverty due to rapid urbanization have increased health risks associated with the use of traditional cookstoves in overcrowded households. The potential differences in the adoption of clean cookstoves between urban poor and non-poor households in Ghana remain poorly understood, as current studies focus mainly on the rural-urban divide despite the high vulnerabilities of the urban poor. This paper examines the factors influencing household use of CCSs for cooking, with a focus on the urban poor. The study used data from the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). Descriptive analysis and binary logistic regression were employed to investigate the determinants of CCSs. The results indicate that urban poverty, household head’s age, marital status, and educational levels are significantly associated with CCS use. Urban poor households are significantly less likely than their urban non-poor counterparts to use CCS. The findings provides insights that can inform pro-poor inclusive energy policy interventions aimed at accelerating progress toward multiple SDGs—particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities).