Swiss Partners
Nouvelle Planète, Lausanne,
www.nouvelle-planete.ch,
Philippe Randin, Olivier Dumont
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Documentation
Swiss Contribution
Nouvelle Planète is a non-denominational, politically neutral, Swiss foundation created in 1986, supporting small, effective and adapted projects that are requested by local communities. Nouvelle Planète acts according to the ethical principles inspired by Albert Schweitzer. Swiss biogas specialists, including Nathalie Bachmann, are consulted on for all technical questions.
Description
Biogas represents a clean energy source that can be directly produced and consumed in rural areas. Poor families in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta villages greatly depend on their raising of livestock, such as pigs, cattle, ducks and chickens, which are often providing their only source of income. However, livestock waste from their animal production also pollutes water and soil, representing a health risk to the inhabitants as well as to the Delta’s ecosystem. Biogas can replace wood as fuel and shall significantly contribute to the inhabitants’ health, as well as to the resolution of environmental issues locally. Upon observing the first project’s positive results, other villages gathered to express their own wishes to have biogas stoves. This new project aims to set up biogas plants suitable for private individuals in a rural community of 10,219 inhabitants in the Mekong Delta. These facilities shall be implemented in four steps, in close collaboration with the villagers and adapting an adequate funding model. This work shall be accompanied by awareness-raising measures and technical training for local technicians and equipment suppliers.