Biogas Systems for Vietnamese Farmers

Farmer Nguyen Xuan Ngoc

To learn more about Biodigestion and Biogas as a clean and alternative source of energy take a look at this VIDEO about biogas in Cambodia from the Dutch Development Organization SNV. For a technical animation of how biodigestion works look HERE .

The Issue :

Farmers collecting wood

In Bình Thuận province in southern Việt Nam, where farming makes up 70-80% of the local economy, destruction of the environment is underway.  As the population increases, intensive agricultural practices damage the land. Agricultural waste, due to fresh animal dung being discharged into open gutters and community waterways, add to this strain.  Another factor is the use of traditional fuels, such as wood and coal for cooking, which contributes to deforestation, which in turn, adversely affects land productivity through drought, flooding and erosion.  The economic implication of the growing scarcity of resources is that farmers remain stuck in a cycle of poverty with no hope for a better future.

The Solution :

biogas system in shed

The treatment of animal waste by biodigestion is a clean and sustainable waste treatment method that also addresses poverty and environmental issues. Biodigestion produces a methane-based biogas that can be used for cooking or lighting.  It is a clean source of renewable energy which reduces deforestation, increases the capacity of farmers to supply more food, and supports the livelihoods of farmers and vulnerable people.

Thiện Chí, one of our partners in Vietnam, has successfully promoted a biogas system which has proven to be cheap (installation cost is about $41) as well as efficient, long lasting and easy to install. 4700 biogas systems have been installed since 2005, with each farmer receiving a small subsidy for the installation ($11).

Farmer Nguyen Thi Ut

Benefits of the Program

1. Reduction in CO2 emissions – a biogas system for a farm of 4 pigs reduces CO2 emissions by 1.2 tons per year
2. Reduction in deforestation – saving is approximately one small tree per family per month
3. Reduction in disease – with the animal waste piped underground rather than on top of the land, the health of the family improves with the reduction in diseases arising from the open sewage.
4. Convenience – the women do not have to spend time away from the house collecting firewood, they do not have to worry about keeping the wood dry and the gas is a more reliable cooking fuel

The Goal :

Farmer cooking with biogas

The goal of this project is to help 50 families in the disctricts of Duc Linh and Tanh Linh to acquire biogas systems. The funds raised are to cover the subsidy ($11) plus the training that Thien Chi provides with each installation ($9). This training assures that the system is used correctly and the farmer gets maximum benefits from the biogas. Total cost per family is $20.

Thiên Chí’s long term goal is to reduce poverty in 3 rural districts of the Bình Thuận province in southern Việt Nam where agricultural activities constitute 70-80% of the local economy. In these districts, the average income of the poor households is US$16 per person per month and less than 5% of the households have access to running water.

Did you know…

According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, Vietnam lost a staggering 78 percent of its old-growth forests between 1990 and 2005?

In Tánh Linh district only 1.5% of households have running water.

Farmer's house

Biogas system installed

Deforested land in Bình Thuận province, Vietnam

Duong Van Dung and her son

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