The Role of Biogas for Sustainable Development in Nepal: A Case Study of Niglihawa VDC of Kapilvastu District
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Department of Sociology
Abstract
Development is the process of developing or being developed. It means that
positive changes are regarded as development. Sustainable development is a
pattern of resources use in such a way that present needs can be met without
destroying the ability for the future generations to meet their needs. Hence,
sustainable development comprises of environmental sustainability, economic
sustainability and social sustainability. Furthermore, energy is an essential
ingredient of socio-economic development. Renewable energy is energy that
comes from resources which are continually replenished such as sunlight, wind,
rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat. Reliable and sustainable supply of energy
is the basic needs of the people for meaningful life including cooking, lighting and
economic activities. Furthermore, renewable energy technologies (RETs) such as
biogas, solar and micro-hydro are widely promoted in Nepal and biogas only
considered for this study. The major objective of this study is to examine role of
biogas for sustainable development in Nepal based on a case study of Niglihawa
VDC of Kapilvastu district. Its specific objectives are: 1) to analyze the role of
biogas for quality of life through livelihood enhancement by improving health &
hygiene and developing micro-enterprises; 2) to examine the role of biogas for
protecting environment through forest conservation and pollution reduction; and 3)
to evaluate the role of biogas for cultural development in the context of Nepal.
In order to conduct this study, descriptive cum analytical research design has
been employed. This study has based on both primary and secondary data. This
study has used cross-sectional secondary data at National level of Nepalese
biogas sector for the period of 1992/93 to 2012/13. Likewise, the primary data
have collected by using structured questionnaire to get opinion of biogas users.
Sixteen household out of twenty two users have been selected randomly for the
study at Niglihawa-6 of Kapilvastu district. The data has edited, tabulated and
analyzed through applied statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics 20 which facilitates
the process of data analysis in a more precise and appropriate way. Moreover, the
simple statistical techniques of analysis such as table, percentage, graphs, and
correlation coefficient (r) have been employed to a number of cases in this study.
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Likewise, White's formula has used in this study to assess the role of biogas for
cultural development.
The study suggests existence of the role of biogas for sustainable development by
determining its role for quality of life, protecting environment, and cultural
development. Based on the analysis of the primary and secondary data, the
results revealed these three conclusions. First, biogas plays important role for
quality of life through improving health and sanitation, creating enterprises and
employment, utilizing bio-slurry as feed and fertilizer. Second, biogas contributes
for protecting environment in relation to forest conservation and reduction of
pollution. Finally, biogas plays important role for social and cultural development.
The results have shown that the biogas plays positive role for cultural changes in
cooking practices, use of toilet, and the role of women in social activities. Based
on White’s model using national data, the results show that cultural development
moves in the same direction with total plants installed over the year as the
correlation coefficient (r) between two is 0.81. There is very high degree of
positive correlation between these two variables. It means if total plants increase
then the degree of cultural development also increases and vice versa. Hence,
biogas plays an essential role for the economic and social development as well as
protecting environment that contributes for sustainable development in one way or
another.