1 Background of SandikholaSandikhola is located in Ghorka district of Nepal. The area is mountainous and is isolated due to the surrounding rough roads and steep terrain.1.1 Geographical situation of SandikholaThe Ghorka region is located 140 km west of the capital Kathmandu. It is located in the central hilly area. It is located at an altitude of 1259 m above sea level. (EWB Challenge 2014)Figure 1: Map of Ghorka Region1.2 Population of SandikholaSandikhola has a population of 456 people. Most of these people live from agriculture. (2014 EWB Challenge Resources)2 Current SituationSandikhola has a subtropical climate and receives an average of 1,400-2,000 mm of rainfall per year and averages 26°C. Sandikhola has a two-season year consisting of dry and wet seasons. The dry season is from October to May and the rainy season is from June to September. 2.1 Fuel for cooking Villagers use firewood, which they obtain, from community forests where each community has its own wood supply. Buffalo dung and cow dung mixed with water and then fed into a reactor are used to provide biogas to villagers. 2.2 Effects of the cooking techniques used Storing firewood takes up a lot of space. Furthermore, it takes several hours to collect it every day, and when it is burned, it produces a lot of smoke which is harmful to local residents. Not all villagers have access to biogas stoves. For villagers who use biogas there is no smoke when they cook, but they do not have access to biogas all year round. 2.3 Current designs used Open fire and mud stoves are used which are located both inside and outside the house. Biogas is also used. Of the three current models, mud stoves are the most widely used. Mud stoves use less firewood than open fire stoves.3 Why changes are needed• Improved cooking conditions• To reduce storage space• Environmental effects (deforestation, air pollution)• To reduce time spent harvesting of wood• Not all villagers have access to biogasImportant points • More than 17 million tons of firewood are consumed in Nepal every year, of which less than 1% is marketed. The rest is collected free of charge by users from forests or their own farmland. • Households with traditional mud stoves use less firewood than those using a traditional open fire stove. Data from two nationally representative household surveys show that in 1995/96 approximately 77% of Nepalese households used firewood for cooking. However, by 2003/2004 the percentage of families doing so had increased to 84%.