As you know, the GEF SGP is actively working on the level of local communities in the sphere of promoting biogas technologies in Uzbekistan. This topic is especially actual when energy resources are lacking for local development. Shortage of energy resources very negatively influences the state of the Environment as well, because people continue eliminating all plants for fuels. And it is not a secret that gathering methane which is formed from the waste products of agriculture, biogas technologies prevent its penetration to the atmosphere and thus reduce the pressure to the collection of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
A huge work in this direction is implemented by the joint project of UNDP and the government of Uzbekistan “Support of Uzbekistan in transfer to low carbon development of the national economy”. During the 2011-2012 the project is focused on the all-round assistance to the development of biogas in the country.
This project of the UNDP and the GEF SGP are closely cooperating. From the beginning, the UNDP project supported the farm which demonstrated the technology for local energy needs in Syrdarya. After broad discussions about what else could be done, we came to the opinion that it is possible to make an installation, which was built within the framework of the GEF SGP project in the farm household of the Urgench State University, a base for training not only students but for farmers as well.
The installation in Urgench University is very simple and reliable. Simply a tube of a truck is used there instead of gasholder which can store up to 5 gas atmospheres. Maximum that could happen – it would break.
But this is just a demonstration of the process and technology for students. Something more reliable and serious is needed for farmers. The UNDP project has bought additional equipment which will be used for training farmers who will study there in the future. The UNDP project bought additional computer equipment for the auditoriums, gasholder for the existing installation, various equipment for researches etc.
Installation inside the farm household of Urgench State University
With the joint efforts of our projects and Urgench State University a base for training will be formed. Education part will be held by the specialists of NGO KRASS who are known not only in Khorezm region for their work but also far away from there, in other regions. NGO KRASS fulfilled works within the framework of the GEF SGP projects including the project on promotion of laser planning of lands, carrying out of economical analyses within the project of pistachio etc. NGO KRASS has high potential which was developed by the ZEF-Bonn/UNESCO project. NGO is actively developing the sphere of providing services for farmers in the field of sustainable development of agriculture and land use. Biogas will be one of the additional directions and NGO will be working on it with the farmers of Khorezm region and other neighboring regions.
Currently, the work on creation of a model business plan is being implemented. The business plan will be in a form of an electronic table where any farmer could enter his/her own data and receive necessary estimates – technical and economical. These estimates could be inserted automatically to the text format which will be presented to a bank for receiving credit for building a biogas installation. Thus, every farmer will be able tobuild the similar installation in his/her farm.
The rector of Urgench State University – Mr. Eshchanov Ruzimboy Abdullaevich provided a full support to the new initiative. And soon, a new training centre for farmers will be created as a part of the University where farmers can study this simple technology which is useful both for people and nature.
