Climate change is coming fast and furious to the Tibetan plateau.

The burning of biomass fuels results in exposure to high levels of indoor air pollution, with consequent health effects. Possible interventions to reduce the exposure include changing cooking practices and introduction of smoke-free stoves supported by health education. Social, cultural and financial constraints are major challenges to implementation and success of interventions.

Biomass fuel is the primary source of domestic fuel in much of rural China. Previous studies have not characterized particle exposure through time

Many rural people in Tajikistan cannot afford to regularly buy products like fuel and agrochemical inputs. Instead, they rely on locally available yet increasingly scarce natural resources. One result is that large amounts of animal dung are used as fuel for cooking and heating. Simple modifications of local cookstoves are supporting rural communities to use local resources more efficiently, in the process improving soil rehabilitation.

Despite the challenges, the importance of monitoring and evaluation remains critical in verifying the benefits of improved stove designs and their use. Over the last eight years the Appropriate Rural Technology Institute (ARTI), has been engaged in the Monitoring and Evaluation of improved cook stove programmes in various rural and urban settings.

Gas from rotting manure could fuel the future. Biogas digesters, devices that turn decomposing manure into fuel, are cost-effective, environmentally friendly and improve the health of rural people who use them.

World Health Organization (who) says over 3 billion people use solid fuels, including biomass