Dissemination and adoption of improved stoves and their contribution to forest conservation on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro

This study was undertaken in Foo and Nronga villages in Hai District. It aimed at examining the extent of dissemination and adoption of improved firewood stoves and their contribution to forest conservation on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. The study employed structured interviews, in-depth interviews, field observations, discussions and literature survey in data collection. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. The study has revealed that community based organisations, technicians, neighbourhood, relatives, religious institutions and schools were used to disseminate improved firewood stoves in Foo and Nronga villages. Almost 99% of households were aware of improved stoves while about 45% of the households and 75% of the institutions had adopted them, in the two villages. This has reduced firewood consumption by 46.9% and the frequency of firewood collection from the forest and farmlands. Indirectly, this may contribute to forest conservation on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. The study also has revealed that low purchasing power and high pricing of the improved stoves, among other factors, limited adoption of improved stoves. Given the above it is recommended that economic empowerment, cost sharing, reduced prices for improved stoves and quality control measures by relevant authorities and use of participatory approaches in disseminating improved stoves may increase the rate of adoption of improved stoves and contribute significantly to forest conservation.