Environmental research

Implementing NGO/CBO: Homeland Concern Group Network(HOMNET): Established in 2004 as a public charity organization NO.1471, aiming to encourage mutual understanding, care and love for mother earth. With primary objective to conserve and plan sustainable use of resources in the middle portion of the Mekong Basin s Songkhram River, the network now expands its activities to cover other ecosystems as well as promoting sustainable livelihood of community. Location of project: Seven villages of 3 Tambols in 2 districts of Nongkhai and Bungkarn Provinces , situated in the Greater Mekong Sub-basin s Songkhram River a plain and hilly terrain appropriate for paddy farming. At a higher terrain, pararubber and oil palm plantation are regarded as lucrative species that generate more income in the location. The location is grid-connected and readily available with all types of conventional fossil fuels, in spite of some pre-existing capacity of community to be energy self-reliant. Target Population: 370 from 908 families in project location who earn their living through plantation of pararubber, oil palms,paddy farming and husbandry. The per capita income is THB: 25,000 (US$ 798). Main Activities: 1.Launching capacity building of targeted population through meeting, training and seminars 2. Building/installing renewable energy systems and putting into use: high efficiency stoves, biogas, and solar/wind 3.Launching dissemination of project results 4. Launching participatory evaluation Main Anticipated Result: 1. Increase capacity & awareness of 75 core community leaders witnessed by active launch of survey and processes of household energy data for confirmation and project implementation 2. Completed building/installation of renewable equipment/system as follows: -7 biogas facilities, -1 unit of solar water pumping for small scale farming, -2 units of low speed wind water pump for small scale farming, -10 units of biomass stoves, -1 unit of charcoal burning kiln for combined heating, 3. The use of renewable equipment/system being able to reduce/avoid the use of fossil energy as follows: -Grid electricity = 250 kw-hr /month/family(solar pump), -Gasoline = 60 litres/month/family (wind pump), -Canned LPG= 8 litres/month/family (biogas), -Fire-wood = 30 kg/month/family (biomass stove and charcoal burning kiln), The above reduction/avoidance being translated in to CO2 = 330.3 kg/month/family

Thailand