The Polytechnic is one of the institutions participating in a new £200,000 study – led by the University of Stirling seeking to understand the fuel choices of those living in East and Central African communities in a bid to improve health.

The research – funded by the UK Research and Innovation Arts and Humanities Research Council –will examine the factors behind the use of solid fuels in cooking, which can be damaging to health, and develop practical interventions to help tackle the issue.

Focusing on communities living in informal settlements in Malawi and Kenya, the research will explore the cultures, behaviours, and lived experiences of those who rely on solid fuels – such as wood, biomass waste, charcoal, and animal dung – for cooking. Crucially, the team will use participatory and visual means to enable communities – where literacy levels may be lower – to contribute to the research. The study will lead to a better understanding of the norms and beliefs around food preparation and – most importantly – the barriers to alternative fuel use. The findings are likely to have a wider impact, with three billion people worldwide cooking on solid fuels.