Towards a policy agenda for Indoor Air Pollution best practice

Table of Contents
Intended aims Actions Participants Timeframe Framework for discussion and action List of completed questionnaires Guidance notes Related topics External links and references Contributors

[top] [end]Intended aims

This discussion is aimed at developing recommendations for policy and practice on ways in which levels of indoor air pollution (IAP) can be alleviated. Ideally, these recommendations should be reached by consensus of key actors and organisations working in the field of smoke and health within each country and we would invite you take part. This net-based discussion is based on working groups being set up by ITDG within its smoke alleviation work in Kenya, Nepal and Sudan. However, the aim of this HEDON discussion is to provide data from all countries which can be freely accessed by all and 'owned' by all. The information will be collated by country.

[top] [end]Actions

To collate information on previous experience and identify factors which have led to success and to failure in the past.
Based on this knowledge, to develop policy recommendations for alleviating smoke
To provide indicators on the cost of introducing these policy measures, and of the expected levels of poverty reduction based on the introduction of those measures. (Poverty reduction based on Sustainable Livelihoods definition)
To produce a discussion paper on further actions, at community level, which are needed to fill the knowledge gaps on IAP.

[top] [end]Participants

It is very evident that successful sustainable solutions come from integrated action. Please therefore take part if you belong to:

Communities who have knowledge on smoke alleviation
Government (local and/or national - health, environment, shelter, energy, small enterprise, planning commissions)
NGOs involved in energy, health, environment, small enterprise, credit
Finance organisations - micro-credit, revolving fund organisers (such as informal women's groups), development banks
Businesses - both SMEs and suppliers of gas stoves etc.
Country representatives from international organisations, such as WHO, international donors, World Bank
Education specialists - curriculum advisers, child-to-child practioners
Interested individuals with knowledge of smoke alleviation

[top] [end]Timeframe

Two to three years

[top] [end]Framework for discussion and action

In the paper pdf file link

Review of interventions to reduce the exposure of women and young children to indoor air pollution in developing countries (941 KB) produced by Grant Ballard-Tremeer and Angela Matthee for the WHO/USAID consultation on Indoor Air Pollution and Health on 3/4 May 2000 in Washington DC, the authors identified three key areas in which interventions can lead to reduced levels of IAP:

the source (emissions)
the local environment (concentrations)
the user (exposure)

Twenty-three possible interventions were assessed according to eight criteria which could either the benefit of the intervention or the restrictions preventing greater use. These criteria are:

Exposure level
Cost
Local environmental impact
Regional and global environmental impacts
Safety concerns
Impact on local employment
Acceptance and suitability
Market readiness.

However, the paper also indicated that 'it was evident from the analysis that further attention should be given to the collection and compiling of data so that informed decisions may be made'. I would suggest that this discussion should adopt the three key areas (source, environment, user), look at the eight criteria, but concentrate on more pragmatic considerations based on field knowledge to assess success:

Please could I therefore ask you to fill in the attached questionnaire as completely as possible ? add as much detail as you wish. Please let us know your views even if you do not complete the form - all information is valuable. If you feel we've missed anything, please let us know

In this document, the word 'intervention' means any technology, or social or economic activity, that has led to a reduced level of indoor air pollution in the home. Please give references wherever possible for the data. Please use separate pages in the forum for each intervention. Some guidance notes of how to do this are provided below.

Nature of intervention (improved stove, education package, forest planting etc.)
Was the intervention successful? -how many households benefited?
If 'yes' what were the key aspects which led to this success?
If 'no' what were the key aspects which caused it to fail?
Who were the key players and networks that devised and implemented the intervention?
What was the time frame of the intervention?
Was the intervention evaluated? If yes, what kind of evaluation was conducted, i.e. process or outcome, qualitative or quantitative, anecdotal etc.?
Were tests conducted to show that the intervention reduced IAP?
If 'yes' please describe them
Was an evaluation conducted to show that the intervention reduced health problems and improved quality of life? If yes, was this is anecdotal evidence, qualitative evaluation, or quantitative evaluation
What were the impacts, e.g. health, economic, time, education?
What are the geographic limits of the intervention? - how could they be increased?
What was the level of subsidy? - where did it come from? - how sustainable is it?
If some form of external loan finance was involved, what form did it take? (micro-credit, revolving funds)
Have any follow-up studies been done? - if 'yes' what were the findings
Was the intervention sustainable in the long-term; is it ongoing? Are there future plans?
If not, what caused the intervention to fail? - what could be changed?
Based on the negative findings, what policy and practice changes would be needed to overcome the problems?
What best practices can be identified from successes?
Who could best implement policy changes required to make a positive impact

[top] [end]List of completed questionnaires

None completed as yet, please list your completed questionnaires here

[top] [end]Guidance notes

To make your contribution, either download the questionnaire, fill it in, and email it to Liz Bates (see her personal page for email) or follow the steps below:

Download the questionnaire (31 KB)
Fill in your responses
Edit this forum page and add a new page (read How you can get involved, make a new page, and make good pagenames for some guidance on how to do this). Give your new page a 'project profile' category.
Paste your response into the new page you have just created.
Create new pages for each project you describe.

[top] [end]Related topics

Household smoke monitoring - how-to
Household energy and health - an introduction
Indoor air pollution
Impacts of poor IAQ
Improved cookstoves

[top] [end]External links and references

[top] [end]Contributors

User:Liz Bates 20 November 2003

Categories: Indoor Air Pollution

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Page created: 20 November 2003; Last edited: 08 September 2007; Version: 5
Knowledge Bank text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.

Pagename: IAPRecommendations @HEDON: DJAA