The Asia Regional Cookstove Program (ARECOP) was initiated in 1991 as a network that facilitates the development of effective improved cookstove and biomass energy programs at the household and small industry levels.

For more than a decade (ARECOP) has consistently focused its activities on the traditional wood/biomass energy using population, the millions upon millions of people who depend upon wood and other biomass as their main source of energy for their daily livelihood.

As a network ARECOP has made significant contribution toward establishing effective cooperation diverse stakeholders in addressing improved cookstove and related energy issues. The Network serves as a bridge for exchanges of information, skills, expertise and resources among sectors as diverse as government institutions, NGO, academic and research institutions, community based organizations, international agencies and private institutions.

There exists now a broad network of cooperation among agencies working in sectors as diverse as rural energy, gender, forestry, health, etc, that have integrated improve cookstove activities as a component of their activities.

Throughout the course of its mission, ARECOP activities have helped to shape the direction of improved cookstove programs in Asia. ARECOP has actively pursued the integration of improved cookstove program with other complementary developmental programs in order to enhance the spread of improved cookstove related activities in the absence of resources specifically dedicated to stove programs. Among others, ARECOP has also promoted the decentralization of improved stove technical and programmatic skills through a comprehensive training that has now been adopted by institutions in the region. ARECOP has also initiated the adoption of participatory methodology in improved cookstove program to address the issue of gender, poverty and sustainability.

Bringing its course of action in line with emerging issues, ARECOP has taken steps to address the issues of indoor air pollution , and its related health impacts and has put greater focus on the popularization of advanced and modern biomass technology applications.

Besides a regional focus, ARECOP also dedicates equal emphasis in building country based capacities to deal with national level issues. Through the establishment of Country Contact Points in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, ARECOP has successfully facilitated the creation of nationally based networks of co-operations dealing with improved cookstoves and biomass energy use.