• English
• Español
• Português
• Français

Country: Guatemala

Sustainable Communities Pillar: Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency

Project Title: Impulsando el desarrollo de comunidades sostenibles por medio de la apropiación de buenas prácticas ambientales y la producción de energía limpia con enfoque de usos productivos y resilencia a los desastres naturales.

Grant Amount:USD$50,000

Implementer: Fundación Solar

Website: http://www.fundacionsolar.org.gt/

Background: The micro watersheds of Xeúl Canchel and Chibalám Chimachó are located in Cubulco municipality, Baja Verapaz department, in the northern area of Guatemala. As in most watersheds in the country, the quality of life of the people in these two, especially for women and children, is affected by respiratory diseases due to the use of open fires inside the households; gastrointestinal diseases due to the lack of knowledge about excrete handling; inadequate environmental practices that enlarge the socio environmental threats; and the income, which is for most, below the minimum wage.

Through this project, Fundación Solar will promote the integral development of four communities through a sustainable approach, in the microwatersheds mentioned. To accomplish this, the adoption of biodigestion technologies will be facilitated, to produce clean energy which will be beneficial socially, environmentally, and economically because the sustainable management of organic residue (excretes) is promoted, to turn them into a resource to generate biogas (renewable energy), thus reducing carbon emissions generated by wood consumption, and the related diseases.

In addition of the biogas produced by this technology, bio-fertilizer will be produced, which will be used for: the appropriation of good environmental practices, such as the construction of terraces, live and dead barriers to reduce the socio-environmental threats in the community, as well as improvement in the yield of grains such as beans and corn, and the promotion of productive projects like fertilizer boxes and nurseries. All this, through participative methods where the community members are the main actors in the transformation of their community into a sustainable one.

Objective: Reduce carbon emissions and indoor pollution from the use of wood through the implementation of organic waste biodigestion technology for the production of biogas, strengthen the productive use of organic composting and adopt sustainable environmental practices in the micro watersheds of Xeúl Canchel and Chibalám Chimachó.

Expected Results:

• 12 biodigesters operating effectively and efficiently (including connection to stove and lighting lamp with biogas) and producing a daily average of 4 m3 of biogas each, within 60 days after installation in 4 communities Cubulco, Baja Verapaz.
• 36 representatives of participating families trained to operate and maintain the biodigesters ensuring their good condition throughout their lifespan.
• 120 families adopt vermicomposting practices for productive purposes and use 4 nurseries with a total of 60,000 coffee plants and other legumes, using the bio-fertilizer produced by the biodigesters.
• 120 families are sensitized on the importance of contributing to the management and protection of the watershed, adopting environmental practices for resilience to natural disasters, such as terracing, hedgerows for soil and water conservation in 21.2 hectares and implementation of agroforestry systems of permanent crops in 24 hectares.
• 120 participating families applying best agricultural practices in 15.9 hectares with grains and other agricultural crops.

Produced by Telemedellin "Soy Natural"