Improved stoves in Sub-Saharan Africa: the case of the Sudan

The paper estimates charcoal demand and supply elasticities to determine rebound effects from improved stoves in the Sudan. These are increases in fuel consumption resulting from gains in real income upon the use of more efficient appliances, and from downward price adjustments associated with the reduction in fuel requirements. The findings are that: (1) charcoal markets are characterized by low elasticities; and (2) 42% of fuel savings are lost, mostly as a result of large price adjustments since low elasticities place more of the burden of market adjustment on prices than on quantities. Nonetheless, price-related effects may be small because of increases in charcoal prices as a result of accelerated deforestation. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.