Publicaciones

During a national workshop in Bolivia, on the 16thof February 2012 respectively, preliminary results were presented of a feasibility study conducted for a national biodigester programme in this country. Significant lessons were learned evaluating former projects, for example, the absence of a market-based approach and the lack of follow-up in general (e.g. capacity building, technical assistance, monitoring, evaluation and R&D), confirming the importance of a comprehensive approach in formulating and rolling out a national biodigester programme. 

Participants of the workshop include representatives from government bodies, private sector companies, financial institutions, universities, research institutes, NGOs and international cooperation. They extensively discussed the findings of the feasibility studies, agreeing on the main conclusions and demonstrating that sufficient institutional capacity is present to develop a national biodigester programme in Bolivia. 

To adopt a sustainable market-based approach, it was concluded that crucial support functions need to be developed. Capacity building, technical assistance, quality control and research and development were all identified, among others, as necessary programme functions, while the importance of standardised, validated technologies was stressed. At the same time, the overall low investment capacity and/or access to credit facilities for rural households in Bolivia is limited, particularly in the Andean region. This calls for area specific intervention strategies with differentiated subsidy levels in order to reduce investment barriers and promote the application of renewable energy.