International Seminar on Bioenergy and Rural Sustainable Development

Small Scale Applications Working Group

June 27, 2003 , Morelia , Michoacán, México

Moderators: Rodolfo Díaz (GIRA), Lisa Büttner (Winrock International)

Summary of key elements identified for achieving sustainable solutions to household energy and health:

• Understand user needs and conditions influencing the use and management of biomass—for cooking, heating, small industry.
• Determine from the BEGINNING the measures of project impact and establish a baseline with which to compare on periodic basis during and beyond project timeframe.
• Take advantage of regional synergies, such as those between Mexico and various countries in Central America; some countries have more experience with indoor air pollution and health monitoring, while others have recent experience with technology development that is participatory, user responsive while focused on technology performance and efficiency.
• Include economic incentives to stimulate technology adoption. If dependence on full subsidies is to be reduced, people need to see a tangible benefit for changing behavior. Health concerns may or may not be sufficient for self-replicating technology dissemination.
• Involve participatory processes for ensuring that technological solutions satisfy user needs, and fostering ownership of long-term maintenance responsibilities.
• Involve multiple disciplines in technology promotion and transfer, including in particular anthropology and other social sciences that enable a solid understanding of human behavior and preferences.
• Implement comprehensive planning, emphasizing complementary or synergistic activities, such as reforestation and water resource management.
• Innovate with micro-credit and finance mechanisms, including revolving funds at community level, to stimulate establishment of micro-entreprenuers in cottage industries including tortilla-making, pottery, brick-making, bakeries, etc.
• Finance not only for technology but for planning and social processes and research (e.g. socio-economic and health impacts).
• DOCUMENT. DOCUMENT. DOCUMENT. Many lessons learned are lost for lack of documentation. Documentation should reflect the perceptions of the women and men who have participated in the projects, as these perspectives are often not captured through simple project assessment.
• Structure an approach to promotion that includes awareness-building (e.g. of health impacts, time and economic burdens, environmental impacts, and possible solutions); promoter development; and follow-up strategies including monitoring of measurable indicators.
• Consider various technological options alternatives to inefficient use of biomass. These include improved biomass stoves, biomass gasification, solar stoves and ovens, biogas, LPG where appropriate, etc. The appropriateness of each of these options will depend in large part on their responsiveness to the needs and traditions of the cooks, their ability and willingness to pay, their flexibility in making changes, and the social processes involved in transferring the technology.
• Be aware of risk when continuity of program support is lost. Implies emphasis on building local capacity, promoters, financial incentives and credit mechanisms.
• Include rural inhabitants as key participants in seminars of this nature.

Next steps…

• Start a listserve among participants of small-scale applications session.
• Develop inventory of current and planned small-scale biomass/biogas projects in Mexico .
• Seek to build collaborations among participants and with other institutions.
• Develop project concepts that take an integrated approach, for possible funding (including under EPA’s Partnership for Clean Indoor Air).

Lisa Büttner
Winrock International