We went back to Nepal in November, and if there’s one saying that keeps proving itself true, it’s once Nepal, always Nepal. There’s something about the place that makes returning feel less like a trip and more like coming home.
This visit was about setting up the next phase of our work with MECS, bringing clean cooking and clean heating together in one pilot. We were working in the community of Laxmi Bazar, and although it was our first time there, the welcome was instantly familiar in the best possible way.
There were tikka blessings, delicious food and gorgeous flower garlands. Nepal has a beautiful tradition of welcoming people with real warmth and generosity that are like no other.
We love all the colour and hospitality, but we were there to get to work. This pilot looks at how clean cooking and clean heating work side by side, and what that combination means for household air quality. Firewood is a massive impostor when it comes to black carbon pollution, and in many homes, it’s still doing double duty for cooking and warmth. This study is about seeing what changes when both of those needs are met more cleanly, and what that means for the air people live with every day.
Having supportive partners on the ground makes everything smoother, from setting up the trial to working with households and navigating daily logistics. It turns a complex project into something that actually feels doable - big shout out to Pahar Trust Nepal!
Now the monitoring is underway, and we are excited to see what the data shows. Even more than that, we are already looking forward to coming back.
Nepal does that to you.
