Implementation of Bioenergy Systems towards Achieving United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in Rural Bangladesh

Rahman, K.M. and Edwards, D.J. and Melville, L. and El-Gohary, H. (2019) Implementation of Bioenergy Systems towards Achieving United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in Rural Bangladesh. Sustainability, 11 (14). p. 3814. ISSN 2071-1050

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Abstract

This research presents a conceptual model to illustrate how people living in rural areas can
harness bioenergy to create beneficial ‘community-driven’ income-generating activities. The research
is contextualised within the rural developing areas of Bangladesh where people live in abject poverty
and energy deficiency. The research methodology applied in this study aims to determine the basic
requirements for implementing community-based anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities and illustrate
how an AD facility positively impacts upon the lives of rural communities directly after its installation.
The survey results demonstrate that implementing a biogas plant can save 1 h and 43 min of worktime
per day for a rural family where women are generally expected to for cook (by the long-term
tradition). In addition to the positive impacts on health and climate change through adoption of
clean energy generation, this time saving could be utilised to improve women0s and children’s
education. The research concludes that, by providing easy access to clean bioenergy, AD can change
people’s quality of life, yielding major social, economic and environmental transformations; key
benefits include: extending the working day; empowering women; reducing indoor air pollution;
and improving people’s health and welfare. Each of these tangible benefits can positively contribute
towards achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This work demonstrates the
potential to increase the implementation of AD systems in other developing world countries that
have similar geographic and socioeconomic conditions.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.3390/su11143814
Dates:	Date Event 11 July 2019 Published 8 July 2019 Accepted 19 May 2019 Submitted
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Bangladesh; anaerobic digestion; biogas; bioenergy; Sustainable Development Goals
Subjects:	CAH10 - engineering and technology > CAH10-01 - engineering > CAH10-01-09 - chemical, process and energy engineering CAH13 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01-01 - architecture CAH13 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01-02 - building CAH13 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01 - architecture, building and planning > CAH13-01-04 - planning (urban, rural and regional) CAH19 - language and area studies > CAH19-04 - languages and area studies > CAH19-04-06 - Asian studies
Divisions:	Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment > School of Engineering and the Built Environment
Depositing User:	Khondokar Rahman
Date Deposited:	16 Jul 2019 07:13
Last Modified:	03 Mar 2022 15:49
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/7726

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