Erecson Solis

• Land use and food security
• Renewable energy
• Environmental and climate change
• Sustainable use of natural resources
• Agriculture, land use, climate change

• Sri Lanka

Dipl.-Ing. International Master in Horticultural Sciences (IMaHS) - University of Bologna, Technische Universität München, Universität für Bodenkultur (Erasmus Mundus Scheme)

BSc. Agricultural Engineering - Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan

Katholischer Akademischer Ausländer-Dienst (KAAD), Foundation fiat panis

Bioenergy initiatives in developing and emerging countries and their environmental, social and economic impact

The world energy consumption has been increasing on worldwide scale, mainly driven by strong economic development, population growth, and the improvement of living standards. Also, the increase in the amount of solid waste generated in the global scale is greatly attributed to the exponential growth of population, urbanization, development of social economy, improvement of living standard with changing production and consumption pattern. As countries are already keen to diversify their energy systems there is a considerable increase in the production and use of bioenergy in various parts of the world, which is largely dependent on biomass supplies. However, bioenergy crop production may adversely affect food availability due to the switching of food crops or productive resources to that of bioenergy. Recycling and utilization of urban biowaste as a resource for productive use possesses high value with regards to material and energy recovery. The degradation of this organic biomass may, however, be used to provide energy with the use of standard and appropriate technologies. Waste generated in urban areas in low and developing countries contains large proportion of organic matter in comparison to high and highly developed countries. As such, urban organic waste produced in these areas poses environmental, social, and economic and public health issues. The potential for converting the organic domestic waste into bi-energy in developing countries has been inadequately studied and adopted. Based on the overview survey previously conducted, the focus of the study will be on managing urban biowaste for bioenergy production via anaerobic digestion. The overall objective of this study is to assess the potential of urban biowaste for bioenergy production and the used of residues for soil application, and verify its socio-economic and environmental as well as the opportunities and challenges. Specific methodological approaches are proposed for each of the research objectives. The data planned for collection include secondary data and primary data via selected case studies.

International Water Management Institute (IWMI)

PD. Dr. Christopher Martius

Dr. Manfred Denich