Overview
Almost the entire Rwandan population (98.5%) relies on polluting fuels, particularly firewood and charcoal, for cooking. Access to clean energy such as electricity is still limited. In 2022, 70% of the population lived in towns and villages that have electricity – 49% from the national grid and 21% from off-grid (mainly solar) systems. When access is defined as connection and use of households to electricity, an estimated 47% of households had access in 2020, representing 86% of the urban population but only 38% of the rural population.
Electricity could be a clean energy solution for cooking, particularly in urban areas, however less than 1% urban population cooks with electricity. Household air pollution (HAP) from solid fuels is a leading health risk factor for death in Rwanda, with 6932 deaths attributable to HAP in 2019.
Accelerating household access and adoption of clean energy is essential to achieving better air quality. This requires strong collaboration among stakeholders in multiple sectors. As a first step to improving access to clean fuels for household energy needs in Rwanda, this HEART assessment documents the existing household energy and health situation and identifies relevant stakeholders. This assessment was conducted by a comprehensive review of the literature and data and by interviewing informants in Government ministries, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector and academics involved in household energy, health and related activities in Rwanda according to the HEART template, part of the first module of WHO’s clean household energy solutions toolkit (CHEST).
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