Trees, Water & People

Throughout Central America, more than 80% of families cook their meals over open wood fires. These families don't have access to alternative fuel sources and can't afford to buy electric or gas stoves. These open wood fires create serious problems:

- Smoke from these fires is a major cause of acute respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis, and eye diseases;

- Inefficient open wood fires require a great deal of fuel, contributing to deforestation;

- Open-fire cooking stoves, because they require a great deal of wood, release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere; and

- Women cooking over an open fire and children playing nearby run the risk of being seriously burned.

To combat these problems, Trees, Water & People has developed several types of fuel-efficient stoves that use up to 70% less wood than traditional open fire stoves. The technology behind the stoves is simple and very low-maintenance, and the stoves can be manufactured locally, using local materials, and adapted to meet local cooking customs.

Trees, Water & People works by helping communities protect, conserve, and manage the natural resources upon which their long-term well-being depends. For more information, click here.

Video provided by Channel G.