Environmental research

Target communities are situated in watershed and earn their living through agricultural practice: growing vegetable and raising animals(cows and hogs).Due to insufficient system of disposal, coupled with ignorance of the majority of communities, animal waste ,estimated at a hundred tons per year, has polluted water courses and surrounding environment and subsequently degraded water-related ecosystems. Founded in the year 2000, the working group aimed to solve current community problems by formulating the Community Master Plan at Tambol level. The group is a network of other 14 working groups in Phatthalung Province. One of the many projects under the participatory Master Plan, the proposed project aims to contribute to reducing the degree of pollution to a certain extent by turning the manure into biogas for use. The biogas facility built will bring out the process for manure collection for producing biogas which will later be used as household energy. Therefore, the use is two folds: reversal of water pollution from animal waste and reduction of fossil fuels in household consumption. Project goals or objectives (including GEF problem-area addressed by projects): 1.To reduce water pollution from animal waste 2.To promote the use of renewable energy 3.To promote participatory process in local & global environment conservation Activities to be carried out under project: 1. Building 30 biogas facilities in 9 villages 2. Putting into household use the biogas obtained in 1. 3. Launching capacity-building activities for target population Project participants and/or beneficiaries: 1. The Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives 2. The Community Development Department 3. The Land Development Department 4. The District Agricultural Office Anticipated results of project: 1. Emergence of at least 30 families who continuously utilize biogas for energy consumption: Note: families using 3 gas cans (15 kg) per month at average 2. The savings of approximately Baht: 248,400: / year from canned cooking gas obtained from the market

Thailand