2010 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Influence of Biogas Digester by Animal Manure on Forest Management in Nepal

Research Project

Project/Area Number	21780146
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Forest science
Research Institution	Nagoya University
Principal Investigator	ITO Kasumi Nagoya University, 農学国際教育協力研究センター, 准教授 (10467334)
Project Period (FY)	2009 – 2010
Keywords	家庭用バイオガス装置 / 森林保全 / 資源利用 / 生計向上 / ネパール
Research Abstract	This study indicated that introduction of biogas digester for household use has both positive and negative influence to livelihood and forest management in Nepal. Biogas users showed less consumption of firewood, time for firewood collection, cooking time. In addition, biogas users consume more time for agricultural work, and they had more agricultural production and income from agricultural products than that of non-users. Moreover, biogas users assumed that they are more active for forest management because they have more accurate information about their own forest user group than non-users. However, these positive influences may enlarge the gaps between users and non-users in the same village or commune. Dissemination of the digester should have a mechanism or a system to prioritize poor households as target of support. In order to achieve maximum effects from the biogas digester, biogas introduction should be a part of integral approach of rural development or forest protection rather than a convenient device.