The use of biogas improves living conditions and helps to limit the effects of climate change. Cooking on biogas is fast and smokeless and provides health benefits for the whole family, especially women and children. The secondary product, bio-slurry, is a very good fertilizer that increases crop productivity.
Cooking in rural Cambodia is mainly done on wood and charcoal. Cooking on open fires or traditional stoves causes air pollution. This results in many health problems and the premature death of people. In addition, this way of cooking emits a lot of CO2 and the stock of forest to extract wood and charcoal is quickly diminishing. To prevent this, cooking on biogas is an ideal solution. Biogas is a source of clean, renewable fuel and organic fertilizer that can be used to improve crop yields. This leads to a higher income. Cooking on biogas is also fast and smokeless. It eliminates the need to spend time collecting firewood and improves the health of users, especially women and children.
The Cambodian National Biodigester Program (NBP) is developing a self-sufficient, market-oriented national domestic biogas digester sector. It provides farmer and craftsman training, establishment of independent local businesses, quality control of built digesters, and marketing and promotion support. Biogas installations can be subsidized by the sale of carbon credits. In addition, a special biogas loan is available.
In 2006, the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the Dutch Development Organization SNV launched the Cambodian National Biodigester Program (NBP). Since 2017, the Ministry has continued the program independently using the proceeds from the sale of carbon credits. Hivos supported the program by registering the project with the Gold Standard and monitoring and verifying emission reductions. Hivos withdrew in 2022 and since then FairClimateFund has been selling the carbon credits generated by the project.
Biodigesters offer households with livestock a way to reduce their dependence on polluting firewood and expensive fossil fuels. Cooking with biogas is fast and smokeless. It improves the health of especially women and children. Residual bio-slurry from the biogas process is an excellent organic fertilizer that can be applied to improve crop yield. By selling more vegetables, there is extra income for families.
1. No poverty
2. Zero hunger
