London, 21 June 2007 - SNV's watermill project in Nepal has won the second prize in the category 'Enterprises' at the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy. The judges were impressed by CRT's success in using simple techniques to transform the efficiency of traditional Himalayan watermills, so reviving a centuries-old craft, boosting the millers' income and status, and halting the march of polluting diesel mills.
The former US Vice President Mr Al Gore, presented the prize at the Ashden Awards ceremony in London, on 21st June. He commented: “No one can attend an event like the Ashden Awards and fail to be inspired. We must find a path from an unsustainable present to a sustainable future. What impresses me most about these projects is they truly are becoming the change that is needed in the world. These Awards tell us how to illuminate this path to a sustainable future together. I hope that we can make it quickly."
The watermill project from SNV and her client the Centre for Rural Technology, Nepal, (CRT/N) focused on improving traditional water mills used for centuries by farming communities in the Himalayas. There are over 25,000 of these mills in Nepal that use the power of running water to grind grain into flour. Unfortunately, they can no longer produce enough energy to meet local demand, resulting in a rise in the number of diesel-powered mills. The water mills are also extremely hard work to operate and millers often work 12-18 hour days in order to make a living. In 2003, CRT/Nepal began work to upgrade the water mills making them more efficient and capable of providing other services such as electricity generation and rice hulling. To date, over 2,400 water mills have been upgraded increasing the grinding capacity by more than 100% . The upgraded mills have cut down the waiting time for women users, significantly increased millers’ income and stemmed the rise in diesel mills. It is estimated that each improved mill can offset diesel, equivalent to 2.4 tonnes/year CO2.
For more information on the Ashden Awards: www.ashdenawards.org
