Biogas from organic waste and aquatic plants

for proper sanitation and sustainable development

in Nigeria and the Lake Chad region

Background

The Lake Chad region has a great potential to produce biogas from organic waste and aquatic plants in particular water hyacinths and cattail. The aquatic plants in Lake Chad are now seen as a major problem instead of a unique resource for production of food, ,bio manure, biogas for cooking and electricity production and vehicle fuel. Local production of bio manure will increase the soils water retaining capacity

and pave the way for the introduction of organic farming. Thousands of women and young children are dying every year due to respiratory diseases caused by smoke from fire places.

The people in many villages have problems with stomach diseases caused by leaking pit latrines which pollutes drinking water. Only one tenth of Lake Chad’s surface is remaining and the average depth is only 1, 5 m.

Precipitation has decreased by more than 40% in recent years to a large extent dependent on the extensive clearing of rainforest in neighboring countries. Due to extensive eutrophication, Lake Chad is covered to 50% by cattail, which seriously threatens fishing. If Lake Chad disappears, over 20 million people will become eco refugees. The introduction of biogas technologies at all levels would in a dramatic way contribute to the sustainable development of the region.

Project scope

1. Harvest of water hyacinths in lakes around Lagos, and cattail in Lake Chad. Adaptation of Limnotekniks aquatic plant harvesters to local conditions.

2. Construction of a pilot biogas plant in Maiduguri university campus. The raw material will mainly consist of organic waste as well as cattail, harvested from Lake Chad. The bio manure will be used by local farmers. The biogas will primarily be used for cooking and electricity generation.

3. Construction of family digester directly connected with a toilet on the Maiduguri University campus. The biogas will be used for cooking. In order to minimize water consumption introduction of Raw Food, and source separated wastewater with recycling of grey water and co digestion of organic waste and black water - IWESS, Integrated Water Energy Solution, be included in the project. Education for proper sanitation initiatives

involving student groups and introduction of IWESS concept, will be a crucial part of the project..

4. Arrangements of a rain forest conference in Abuja with participants from Lake Chad region and the countries in Africa with own rain forest. The conference will inter alia high light the unique opportunities of biogas technology to pave the way for reclaim of denuded land,

thus offering exploiters of the rain forest an alternative arena outside the rainforest. .

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In order to revive the introduction of biogas technology will National Biogas Boards with actors covering the full scope of biogas technology, that is to say, health, agriculture,

transport, water and sanitation, energy, and urban and regional planning, be initiated in all the countries in the region. The NBB: s will have actors on both governmental, community, and entrepreneur levels for capacity building concerning implementation of a biogas infrastructure in the countries involved. Cooperation between NBB: s from different countries will also be an important for exchanges of experiences and minimization of plant production cost by series and modular biogas plant design approach.

5. Introduction of biogas as vehicle

In addition to the above projects, we will also try to introduce biogas as a motor fuel in the whole region. Biogas production can be scaled up to national level without violation of water and food security. The individual farmer can determine which crops to be grown Biogas technology paves the way for organic small-scale agriculture and without the violations of human rights which are related to gigantic monoculture for the production of ethanol and biodiesel. Many NGOs in West Africa called for an immediate moratorium against large-scale ethanol and biodiesel production.

Expected out puts

The project will contribute to a sustainable development of the Lake Chad region. Food, energy and water supplies in the region can be secured at the same time as sanitation problems can be solved by the introduction of IWESS. Cattail in Lake Chad can become a valuable resource as a digester feedstock, compost or food. Several parts of the cattail plant are edible, inter alia are the roots considered as a delicacy and cattail is also known as The Supermarket on a stalk.

By replacing wood with biogas, many women will get more time for income generating activities. In addition, the introduction of biogas technologies for the production of electricity, cooking fuel and bio manure will create a base for a sustainable economic development. More jobs will be created in farming, because bio manure will increase soil fertility and contribute to create the necessary conditions for introduction of organic farming that will provide a better income and improved health. The clearing of rain forests can be curbed and thus also the reduction of rainfall, which would increase the possibilities to save Lake Chad. Cooperation with CAZS and Maiduguri universities create unique opportunities to share the experiences gained from the project in the whole region.

Collaboration partners i Nigeria

Universitetet i Maiduguri: Prof. F.A.Adeniji, CAZS, CENTRE FOR ARID ZONE STUDIES,

Prof Haruna Ayuba, Institution for Geographyi, African Development Bank

Steering committee

Björn Martén, Chairman, Geist.

Mobile: +46 733721402

Carl Lilliehöök, Director Kristianstad Biogas AB,

Mobile: +46705511600

Stefan Cronqvist, Director Limnoteknik AB

Mobile +46 702761794