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RURAL POPULATION AND ENERGY: COSTS AND BENEFITS OF BIOGAS PLANTS DEVELOPMENT AT HOUSEHOLD LEVEL IN THREE SELECTED AREAS OF TIGRAY [Abstract ID: 0610-01]
Biogas has micro and macro benefits which require proper investigation. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess the costs and benefits of biogas at household level in three Weredas in Tigray where the use of biogas is widely adopted. The study used both primary sources of information via questionnaires and secondary data from the literature. 150 households were selected via purposive sampling. The collected data were analyzed using cross tab with phi and Cramer’s value and Spearman’s rho correlation. Most of the female household heads who live in rural areas with no access to electricity and other modern alternative sources of energy are using Biogas. The size of the biogas digester ranges from 6 m³ to 8 m³ with 6 m³ common at household level. The total construction costs of biogas range from ETB 12,300 to 14,000, of which ETB 2,300 to 3,500 is covered by the users and the remaining is covered by government organisations and NGOs. Biogas is used in households for lighting, cooking and coffee making. The main reasons why biogas is adopted are location, cattle ownership, cattle feeding method, income source and subsidy. Benefits of adopting biogas include sustainable waste management, reduced cooking and cleaning time, fertilizer production, savings on kerosene and labor. The larger the biogas digester, the greater the benefits. Biogas users obtain benefits but face problems with biogas and its slurry. The views of female household heads in rural areas with regard to the development of biogas plants need to be listened to as they represent their communities. The Government and NGOs need to adjust their incentives and other aspects of finance to cover part of the introduction to Biogas. All stakeholders in Biogas need to focus on the decision-making elements and recognize the benefits of Biogas, which differ according to the size of the biogas digester, and act accordingly.