Co-Design in the Himalaya: Embracing Local Knowledge and User Innovation to Address Household Energy Challenges - ASME Digital Collection
Abstract
Around the world, 2.4 billion people use biomass fuels, coal, and kerosene for cooking and heating, and in 2020, 3.2 million deaths worldwide were linked to household air pollution (HAP) from unsafe use of these fuels. Many organizations have been working to address the complex challenges related to traditional cooking and space heating practices in low-resource communities; however, these challenges remain pervasive, and are exacerbated in regions like the Himalaya due to a lack of access to improved technologies and additional barriers experienced by high-elevation communities. Increased engagement of users has shown to result in higher quality solutions that better meet user needs. Practicing participatory design is increasing in stove development, but few examples demonstrate the engagement of users as peers in the design process.
The authors traveled to five villages in the Himalayan region, engaging community members in the design process in order to better understand cooking practices and user priorities. This paper describes the process of co-designing with a traditional stove user in a rural Himalayan community in India. As a result of this process, a deeper understanding of complex patterns of stove usage and preferences was gained. In addition, the user’s participation in the process resulted in a higher quality design that reduced HAP while preserving important features of the traditional stove. This case study contributes to growing research on and practice of participatory design to improve outcomes in household energy initiatives in low-resource communities.
More information
MIT D-Lab Research: Indoor Heating
Contact
Dan Sweeney, MIT D-Lab Research Scientist, Biomass Fuels and Cookstoves Lead