GOALS : |
The project aims at financing the construction of biogas plants, allowing the inhabitants of Guizhou province to access a renewable energy source to meet their lighting and cooking needs. The project also aims at improving hygiene and sanitation around the dwellings.
In december 2009, the project was registered under Gold Standard, an international standard for qualitative Offsetting Carbone projects.
|
PARTNERS : |
Initiative Développement - French association founded in 1994, ID has as an objective “to help, in the developing countries, the men and women particularly underprivileged to deal with appropriate actions to satisfy their essential needs in a sustainable way (notably: health, potable water, agriculture, education and economic development)”. The association has put in practice the program of water access and cleansing in China since 2002. |
|
|
DESCRIPTION/CONTEXT :
The Weining and Danzhai districts are situated in the province of Guizhou, the poorest province of China, located in the South-west of the country. It counts a little more than one million inhabitants divided in 22 cantons, with a great rural majority.
The zone of intervention, the Weining district, is characterized by a fragile environment :
Formerly rich in forests, the zone was deforested during the Great Leap Forward of the People’s Republic of China to use the wood as energy source by the industries. The slopes of this mountainous area are denuded of trees and are currently overexploited by the peasants in spite of the State’s prohibition to exploit the slopes of more than 25°. Therefore, soil erosion is intense and water streaming is significant.
The use of chemical fertilizers is widespread.
Water is available in small quantities because of a lack of rainfall, phenomena of erosion and streaming.
Taking into account this environment and the energy needs of the population, the biogas plants constitute an appropriate answer. Thanks to the methanisation process (formation of a fuel gas due to the anaerobic (without oxygen) biological fermentation of organic matter) the families equipped with a biogas tank can exploit the animal wastes and profit from a regular supply of energy for cooking and lighting purposes.
NEWS :
In 2009, 400 biogas plants were built by Initiative Développement, which brings our collaboration to 1300 units since 2007.
The project has been recently validated and registered by the Gold Standard in the microscale category.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS :
The use of the biogas tanks reduces deforestation, erosion and air pollution.
Thanks to this project, each household decreased their wood consumption on average from about 22kg per day to 10kg per day (ie more than halved their dependancy)
Each reactor incurs annual savings of 4.8 tons of CO2 equivalent, which means that the project on the whole saves CO2 equivalent emissions of 5 000 tons per year
The project offers the possibility to prevent the underground water sources from contaminating. Moreover, the residual excrements are recovered and mixed with organic fertilizer to be used like natural soil conditioner in the fields.
SOCIAL BENEFITS :
A biogas plant permits a family to save from 600 to 800 yuans (60 to 80 euros) per year on reduced coal expenditure, for an annual average revenue of 1 300 yuans per person (approximately 130 euros in the Weining district).
The workload is decreased considerably, in particular that of women who are usually in charge of collecting wood. The time and money saved could be used for local activities regarding economy and agriculture.
Download the PDD
Find out more about China on GoodPlanet.Info's country presentation !
|
