UC Davis

The Gambia, like other Sub-Saharan African nations, has seen a slow transition from traditional, dirty fuels to cleaner ones. Although measurement of energy access for lighting and cooking purposes has been performed in other Sub-Saharan African countries, no similar analysis has been published for The Gambia. Using data from the 2010 and 2015 Gambian Integrated Household Surveys, this study derives lighting and cooking fuel access levels and factors driving energy fuel transitions. Generalized linear modeling is used to determine the driving factors of lighting and cooking fuel choice among Gambian households over time. Results indicate that household’s primary lighting fuel shows an overall decline in fuel use and rise in decentralized energy sources, instead of grid electricity. Further, grid electricity is concentrated in urban areas compared to rural. Household primary cooking fuel has shown little change over time and remains to be mostly firewood. Access to charcoal, a slightly cleaner fuel, is concentrated in urban areas.