Introduction

SNV was been registered as an NGO in Bangladesh in 2006, since when we have been implementing the National Domestic Biogas and Manure Programme (NDBMP) in partnership with Infrastructure Development Company (IDCOL) and a range of other national and local partner organisations. NDBMP is part of the Asia Biogas Programme, under which SNV provides technical assistance and budget management to national programmes in 4 countries.

Fact and figures

• Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated and least developed countries in Asia, with more than 70% of the population living in rural areas and depending on agriculture for their livelihoods.
• Bangladesh’s main energy sources are biomass and natural gas. Biomass energy sources are traditionally used for domestic cooking and in small rural industries. Traditional biomass fuels are estimated to account for over half (about 55%) of the country's energy consumption. Crop residues and animal dung are widely used as fuel rather than fertiliser.
• Biogas technology is becoming popular in rural Bangladesh, boosted by escalating fuel and chemical fertiliser costs.
• Declining soil fertility is a significant issue in Bangladesh and is attributed mainly to over-exploitation of land without proper replenishment of plant nutrients in soils. The average organic matter content of top soils has declined by 20-46% over the past 20 years due to intensive cultivation. Bioslurry use (either alone or in combination with chemical fertiliser) offers an excellent way of arresting further decline of soil fertility.
• With bioslurry use considered an excellent method of improving soil quality and hence agricultural production, activities related with management and utilisation of bioslurry have now been outsourced to the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute and Department of Agriculture Extension.
• Technical trainings have also been outsourced to Polytechnic Institutes under the Directorate of Technical Education.
• Through SNV’s advisory services over 17,000 biogas plants have been installed across Bangladesh by 30 partner organisations up to February 2011. More than 80% of these biogas plants have been constructed using credit schemes.
• More than 10,000 people have been trained under the programme, with training covering a range of specialist areas including biogas plant construction, operation, repair and maintenance, and bioslurry utilisation and management.

More information

• Renewable energy at SNV
• Publications on Bangladesh in the renewable energy library
• SNV in Asia