Papua Has the Highest Rate of Firewood Use for Cooking in the Nation

As many as 5,116 families in Papua still use firewood for household cooking. This is the highest number nationally in 2019, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS). Papua is followed by East Nusa Tenggara with 3,067 families and North Sumatra with 1,828 families.

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The widespread use of firewood for cooking in Indonesia is far from ideal, posing a significant risk of lung damage. According to the World Bank, in 2014, approximately 165,000 Indonesians died prematurely due to respiratory infections from indoor firewood smoke.

Reasons for the continued use of firewood include limited finances to purchase gas, reluctance to change long-standing habits, and a lack of information about the dangers of firewood smoke to lung health.

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