From: Tom Gray <tgray@igc.org>
Newsgroups: sci.environment
Date: 13 Aug 92 05:34 PDT
Subject: TANZANIA: BIOGAS ENERGY BRINGS HOPE
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1466601736:000:3978
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!tgray    Aug 13 05:34:00 1992


From: Tom Gray <tgray>
Subject: TANZANIA: BIOGAS ENERGY BRINGS HOPE

/* Written  5:17 pm  Jun 22, 1992 by larris in cdp:en.energy */
/* ---------- "TANZANIA: BIOGAS ENERGY BRINGS HOPE" ---------- */
From: Lelani Arris <larris>
Subject: TANZANIA: BIOGAS ENERGY BRINGS HOPE

/* Written 12:04 am  Jun 21, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "TANZANIA: BIOGAS ENERGY BRINGS HOPE" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: Energy; Agriculture
Title: TANZANIA: BIOGAS ENERGY BRINGS HOPE TO VILLAGERS


an inter press service feature

by aidan cheche

tengeru, tanzania jun 18 (ips) -- the fast depletion of
tanzania's forest cover is forcing farmers to turn to biogas
energy as an alternative to fuelwood.

fuelwood is the major source of energy particulary in the
rural areas where 85 percent of tanzania's population of 27
million people live.

but the east african state loses between 300,000 and 400,000
ha of trees annually. environmentalists fear that half of the
country could turn into desert if the rate of deforestation is
not controlled.

in a bid to curb fuelwood dependency, tanzania's centre for
agricultural mechanisation and rural technology (carmatec) has
launched a project at tengeru, about 400 kms north of tanzania's
capital of dar es salaam, to help farmers set up biogas plants.

apart from training the rural community in setting up their
own plants, carmatec provides technical support to neighbouring
countries like burundi and kenya, says the centre's head of
research an training, ainea kimaro.

the german government, through its agency for technical
cooperation (gtz), has provided technicians for the centre.

at present, camartec is training more people so that they
can impart the knowledge to fellow villagers. cow dung is the
main raw material from which energy is produced in the process
of decomposition.

''the demand is going up every day. we hope such technology
will spread fast to the rural areas,'' says kimaro.

the centre organises short courses for farmers and village
artisans, including plumbers and masons, to help set up plants
in their places.

already, biogas technology has spread to the country's 11 out
of 20 regions on the mainland and there are hopes it will go to
the remaining regions, says camartec's director-general, edward
ngaiza.

''biogas plants save fuel, charcoal or firewood. the
technology is safe and has no environmental hazards,'' adds
ngaiza. (more/ips)


tanzania: biogas (2)

''many people (particulary pastoralists) are ignorant of the
technology. we want them to know about it,'' adds ngaiza.

apart from making biogas plants, the centre also produces
stoves which use less fuelwood, according to priscilla nyiti,
camartec official in charge of household stores.

''we have made one stove best known as the 'redeemer stove'.
it redeems the women from the slavery and toil of searching for
fuelwood,'' she said.

statistics here show that women walk up to 7,000 kms a year
in search of fuelwood.

elisaria lemunge (60), a retired primary school teacher, is
among 500 beneficiaries of the project launched in 1983.

''i now use the energy for cooking and heating,'' says lemunge.
he acquired the biogas technology from his neighbour who got the
camartec assistance to set up the plant.

apart from cooking and heating, the technology has the added
advantage of producing manure compost which can be used for farm
work, says camartec's agricultural adviser, harold ngowi.

''the energy is cheap and reliable and a farmer can produce it
by himself,'' says ngowi.

although the technology is expensive at the start, it brings
hope for the future, he explains. one biogas unit costs the
equivalent of 3,000 dollars.

however, kimaro says the centre is looking for cheapest ways
to help farmers by installing small biogas plants.
(end/ips/ac/tvh/ar/apc/92)



Xref: sparky sci.environment:10754 sci.geo.geology:1801 comp.infosystems.gis:2618