Nix Emily, Betang Emmanuel, Baame Miranda, Abbott Michael, Saligari Serena, Shupler Matthew, Čukić Iva, Puzzolo Elisa, Pope Daniel, Mbatchou Bertrand, Anderson de Cuevas Rachel
Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Douala General Hospital, Douala, Cameroon.
Energy Sustain Dev. 2022 Dec;71:167-175. doi: 10.1016/j.esd.2022.09.017. Epub 2022 Sep 23.
Access to clean energy for cooking is central to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7. Latest predictions suggest that this goal will not be met by 2030, with further setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the impacts of COVID-19 restrictions on household cooking fuel, practices and dietary behaviours in a peri-urban community in Central Cameroon. Using surveys (n = 333) and qualitative semi-structured interviews (n = 12), we found negative financial impacts and high levels of food insecurity, with 83 % and 56 % of households reporting reduced income and insufficient food, respectively. Households reduced food intake and cooking frequency and relied more heavily on local sources (e.g., farmland) to feed their families. Changes in primary cooking fuel were less pronounced and fuel choice was inherently linked to cooking behaviours, with some households utilising LPG more often for simple tasks, such as reheating food. Local systems were key in sustaining food and fuel access and households demonstrated resilience by employing numerous mechanisms to overcome challenges. Our findings underline the vulnerability of households in maintaining sufficient food intake and sustaining clean cooking, highlighting how policy needs to take a nuanced approach considering food-energy dynamics and strengthening local systems to ensure access to clean energy is resistant to system shocks.
获得用于烹饪的清洁能源是实现可持续发展目标7的核心。最新预测表明，到2030年这一目标将无法实现，由于新冠疫情还会进一步受挫。我们调查了新冠疫情限制措施对喀麦隆中部一个城郊社区家庭烹饪燃料、习惯和饮食行为的影响。通过调查（n = 333）和定性半结构化访谈（n = 12），我们发现了负面的经济影响和高度的粮食不安全状况，分别有83%和56%的家庭报告收入减少和食物不足。家庭减少了食物摄入量和烹饪频率，更多地依靠当地来源（如农田）来养活家人。主要烹饪燃料的变化不太明显，燃料选择与烹饪行为有着内在联系，一些家庭在进行简单任务（如加热食物）时更常使用液化石油气。当地系统是维持食物和燃料供应的关键，家庭通过采用多种机制克服挑战展现出了韧性。我们的研究结果突显了家庭在维持充足食物摄入量和持续使用清洁烹饪方式方面的脆弱性，强调了政策需要采取细致入微的方法，考虑食物-能源动态，并加强当地系统，以确保清洁能源的供应能抵御系统冲击。
