The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will help the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) scale up the use of biomass waste in the agricultural sector to meet its growing need for clean energy and food security for poor rural households.

The ADB will help the GMS scale up the use of biomass waste in the agricultural sector for clean energy development

The ADB Board of Directors has approved a regional technical assistance project that will be funded by a USD4 million grant from the Nordic Development Fund along with counterpart financing of USD600,000 from the governments of Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Vietnam.

The ADB will administer the grant and carry out the project in the three countries. Biomass waste―such as rice husks and animal manure―is abundant in GMS countries but is not efficiently used as a source of clean energy or as fertilizer. At the same time, the growing practice of planting large-scale crop for biofuel poses a threat to food security by reducing food production and forest land.

Sununtar Setboonsarng, Principal Natural Resources and Agriculture Economist, in ADB’s Southeast Asia Department said promoting the more efficient use of biomass can simultaneously address the goals of fighting climate change and improving the well-being of the rural poor, which are often seen as competing priorities.

The project will fund pilot investment projects to scale up biomass technologies such as household biogas systems, biochar kilns, and improved cooking stoves. The project will also conduct studies, build human and institutional capacity on biomass investment, and promote regional exchange among the GMS countries.

“This project will also help strengthen regional cooperation as it will synchronise GMS bioenergy and biomass standards and regulations to bring them in line with global standards,” said Ms. Setboonsarng.

The project is due to begin in July 2011 and will be completed by December 2014. The Nordic Development Fund is the joint multilateral development institution of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, that provides grants for climate change intervention in developing countries. The project is part of the ADB’s Energy for All Initiative, which increases access to clean, modern energy for inclusive growth and sustainable human development.

The ADB is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia-Pacific region through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members, 48 of which belong to the region.