Access to clean energy for cooking in Bangladesh drops to 28% in 2022: BBS

Bangladesh's efforts to achieve a 35% access rate to clean energy for cooking faced a setback as the rate fell to 28% in 2022, marking a 1.9% decrease from the previous year, according to a report published by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). The report, titled "Bangladesh Sample Vital Statistics 2022," was presented during a press briefing held in Dhaka on Tuesday (13 June).

The statistics revealed that in 2019, the access rate stood at 26.3%, which then improved to 29.3% in 2021. However, in 2022, there was a slight decline to 28%. The government had set a target to achieve a 35% access rate by 2030.

These findings position Bangladesh with the lowest clean cooking access in South Asia, according to a 2021 energy progress report. A staggering 129.33 million people, or 77% of the population, did not have access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking at home.

Clean cooking refers to the utilisation of clean cooking fuels and technologies in households. The report highlights that approximately 92% of rural households in Bangladesh rely on solid fuels such as wood, coal, and animal dung for cooking and heating. These fuel sources are appealing to millions of impoverished individuals due to their low or no cost. However, the usage of such polluting fuels contributes to household air pollution, leading to respiratory illnesses, heart problems, and even premature death.

Globally, the report indicates that 66% of the population has access to clean cooking fuels and technologies, including electricity, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), natural gas, biogas, solar power, and alcohol-fuel stoves.

Among South Asian nations, the Maldives ranks the highest in terms of clean cooking access, covering 99% of its population, followed by Bhutan (79%), India (64%), and Pakistan (49%). Bangladesh not only lags behind these countries but also trails behind Afghanistan, a war-torn nation that provides access to clean cooking for 36% of its population. Additionally, Nepal and Sri Lanka have achieved 31% coverage.

In contrast, developed countries like the United States of America, Sweden, France, Germany, Norway, Finland, Singapore, and Denmark enjoy 100% access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking.

During the press briefing, Dr Maria Neira, director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health at the World Health Organization (WHO), emphasised the importance of scaling up clean and sustainable energy to protect human health and promote healthier populations, particularly in remote and rural areas.

Dr Neira also highlighted the vulnerability of marginalised groups, such as women and children, who still lack access to clean cooking fuels and technologies, exposing them to hazardous levels of household air pollution. She stressed the significance of a healthy and green recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, including a swift transition to clean and sustainable energy.

The event held at the conference room of the bureau featured Planning Minister MA Mannan as the chief guest, along with the presence of State Minister of Planning Shamsul Alam and Statistics and Information Management Department Secretary Shahnaz Arefin, among other attendees.