CASE STUDY:

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN BIOGAS PRODUCTION ()

By: Teuleala Manuella Morris, In-Country Coordinator, USP EU Global Climate Change Alliance Project, University of the South Pacific, , TUVALU.

Edited by: Alamai Sioni, Ministry of Home Affairs, Tuvalu Government, Funafuti, TUVALU.

October 2012 1

CONTENT: Pages:

1. Introduction...... 3-5

2. Description of the Biogas Project in Tuvalu……………………………………………………..5-10

2.1 Biogas Project on , Funafuti………………………………………………………6-7 2.1.1 Consultation of the Project with Amatuku Maritime School…………….7

2.2 Biogas Project on Nanumea ………………………………………………………….8-10

3. Analysis of the Biogas Project in Tuvalu………………………………………………………….10-11

4. Lessons Learnt…………………………………………………………………………………………………12-13

References:………………………………………………………………………………………………………14

Figure 1: Tuvalu in the World Map…………………………………………………………………………………….3 Figure 2: Map of the in Tuvalu……………………………………………………………………………….4 Figure 3: Plastic Digester…………………………………………………………………………………………………..8 Figure 4: One of the Digester Owner, Nanumea Island…………………………………………………….9 Figure 5: Boiling water from the Digester stove, Nanumea Island……………………………………9 Figure 6: Digester unit, Nanumea Island…………………………………………………………………………..10 Figure 7: Cooking from the gas stove attached to the unit, Nanumea Island……………………10

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1. INTRODUCTION Geographically, Tuvalu is located in the South Pacific and approximately 1100 kilometers north of the Fiji islands. Total population by residents is 9,359 from the recent census of 2002 with a total number of 1,827 households nationwide (Tuvalu Census 2002). Tuvalu has nine (9) low- lying isolated making up a total land area of 26 square kilometers (10.5 hectares). It is likely that this land area is being depleted through the years due to soil erosion as confirmed by observations throughout the islands. But this is yet to be confirmed by the Department of Land and Survey.

Figure 1: Tuvalu in the World Map

Source:(http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/au.htm)

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Figure 2: Map of the Islands in Tuvalu

Tuvaluans mostly survive by subsistence means and heavily rely on employment opportunities provided by government and a few private sectors established within the country but of which mostly on the capital island, Funafuti. . Generally on each island, approximately about 6.5% are unemployed from the total population of the productive ages. The main sources of income for families residing on the outer-islands are the remittances received either from relatives on the capital island, overseas and mostly from seafarers employed by overseas companies. Tuvalu GDP per capita in 2011 is US$34.78 Million at the current prices (Source: World Bank).

Respectively in Tuvalu, culture is so imbedded in the lives of most people and so their meager means of survival reflects such in their limited resources and small makeup of livelihood. One of the cultural values strongly practiced to date is sharing of whatever at hand amongst the individuals within communities on each of the nine atolls. This is the very foundation of the community livelihood of Tuvaluans. Land as one key components of culture is communally owned and shared by everyone and no one is singularly a landowner throughout the islands. Being a patrilineal society, Tuvaluans now residing overseas bestow responsibilities of overseeing their lands and properties to relatives remaining in the islands. Relatives who had bestowed responsibilities and who remained in the islands ensure that other relatives have a fair share of those lands and properties. This sharing value of Tuvalu culture somehow

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perpetuates individuals to look upon communal livelihood as a Tuvaluan way of life. Today, this communal livelihood has been forthcoming issue due to financial burdens imposed unto family daily life as more Tuvaluans turn from subsistence to monetary livelihood. Despite this, Tuvaluans feel that living as a community makes a Tuvaluan unique in this globalised world.

2. Description of the Biogas Project in Tuvalu

The Biogas project in Tuvalu was initiated by Alofa Tuvalu which is an International Non- Governmental Organization. It was initially registered in France and includes several volunteers of both Tuvaluans in Tuvalu and foreigners residing overseas. Alofa Tuvalu was established in 2005 with the idea to assist Tuvalu from the threats of global climate change. In doing so, Alofa Tuvalu launched its 10 years Strategic Plan namely ‘Small is Beautiful’ projecting Tuvalu as a model promoting for environmental friendly through using of biogas energy and resources. The approach used by activities was to induce community participations with much consultations done initially with individual island communities on the capital, Funafuti, and then later to those in the outer-islands.

One of those key initiatives was the actual construction of biogas chambers for cooking as illustration for communities to see. Two sites were selected for biogas production. One is at Amatuku where Tuvalu Maritime Training School is located on an islet on Funafuti and the other one is at Nanumea, the northern-most island. Amatuku was nominated due to it’s isolation from the main settlement of the capital and yet still accessible to people who would like to implore the use of this cooking gas practice and Nanumea due to the need proposed by their Kaupule (Local Government).

A total of 1,578m³ of gas per day is required to be produced and converted into cooking gas (and possibly electricity) and can cater for such needs of 526 homes. (Dept. Lands & Survey, 2004 – data from 1986-88; Hemstock, 2005; McLean & Hosking, 1991; Seluka et al, 1998; Trewren; 1984).

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Project Goal: Biogas production project in Tuvalu is to promote and encourage the use of renewable energy by communities in Tuvalu.

Project Objectives: The Project therefore would be able to: i) Demonstrate the processes of biogas production by using low cost techniques; and ii) Provide training for communities on biogas production at community level; and iii) Encourage communities in sustaining the project and extension of the project for the wellbeing of the whole communities.

2.1 Biogas Project on Amatuku, Funafuti

Alofa Tuvalu decided then to establish Amatuku on an islet on Funafuti as a model in Tuvalu to introduce environmental friendly biogas energy for cooking for a start and possibly electricity later. This newly introduced power energy source from animal manure is to harness an alternative source to solar power which had been utilized throughout the islands to generate electricity.

Amatuku is located a Maritime Training School which is Government-owned with its key function to train young seafarers. Being an islet, Amatuku is only about 5.7 hectares (0.056 square kilometers) in land area, and about 20 minutes motorboat ride from Fogafale (the main settlement of Funafuti). Population is approximately fifty-three (53) people of the 13 households excluding the students. Amatuku community comprises mainly of teachers and workers of the training institute and their families.

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2.1.1 Consultation of the Project with Amatuku Maritime School

Delegations from Alofa Tuvalu consulted with the Maritime School to adopt biogas making as a project for the school and successfully implemented in 2007. The project was meant to construct a concrete pigsty for each of the thirteen (13) households and the manure collected to be deposited into a chamber whereby biogas would be processed and utilized for cooking. In addition, the project also aspired to erect a kitchen near the chamber but this never materialized due to some misconceptions and disagreements by some stakeholders within the Amatuku community of the project.

Building the pigsties of the households and sharing chamber was an issue because some households might put in a little manure and yet they might use a lot of gas. Even sharing a kitchen is traditionally unacceptable and besides, people have to make numerous trips from their homes to this kitchen to cook. Women especially preferred cooking in their homes rather than this kitchen which was supposedly be adjacent to the chamber and a couple of meters away from the pigsties.

Today, the chamber where biogas was supposedly to collect from was never used to date for the reasons mentioned except that the manure are continuously cleared from the pigsties and deposited elsewhere. So the Amatuku project was not a success and a complete waste.

Alternative options were provided to encourage the Amatuku community to make the project a success. One of such was for the community to utilize the chamber by using of pipes to get gas to nearby homes or to use the chamber as a refill station of gas cylinders for the home use. The latter is too costly since more facilities are required for refilling of cylinders. Since the Amatuku dwellers were only on the islet for their duration of their employment terms and their homes were not rightful theirs but the government, their interests for the project to succeed was short-lived and irresponsible.

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2.2 Biogas Project on Nanumea Island

Nanumea in the northern-most island very near the Kiribati has a total land area of 357 hectares (3.57 square kilometers) and a total population of 527 from the recent survey in 2012 by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Tuvalu Government. The island has a total of 117 households and an average number of four (4) members.

Alofa Tuvalu project officers travelled by ship to Nanumea in 2010 and consulted with Kaupule Nanumea on the possibility of building a gas chamber from pig manures for cooking. During this consultation it was agreed that the Kaupule wanted the project for a household base for a justified reason to sustain the project. It was then decided for four (4) families to participate in the pilot project. The Kaupule approached the (Island Community) for the selection of these four families. But basically those four families volunteered to pilot the project. The Nanumea Falekaupule drilled instructions to the participating families as obligation to the island community to ensure the project to be successful. Because if the pilot component of the project succeed then it means this can be extended to the whole island communities and this means luxury.

Fig3: Plastic Digester

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A Project Officer to represent Alofa Tuvalu was nominated to ensure the project was implemented the way it was anticipated. Alofa Tuvalu technical personnel from the United Kingdom travelled to the island to establish the gas chambers and gas stoves for those four households. The project provided materials for the pigsties and water-tanks for water to clean pigsties. In addition, fencing materials for the gardens were also provided to utilize the used pig manure from the unit.

Fig 4:One of the Digester Owner, Nanumea Fig 5:Boiling water from the digester stove, Nanumea)

Towards the end of 2011, Alofa Tuvalu technical personnel travelled to Nanumea to monitor the status of the units. Reports of the project by the residing Project Officer of the Alofa Project on Nanumea stated that the functioning of stoves had improved a lot. To date, the four participating families of the project on Nanumea are now using gas from the pig manures for cooking.

A mini survey was also conducted by Kaupule Nanumea on the four families after nine months. All of the four units were utilized for cooking purposes and these had improved immensely since they were first installed. One family comprising of an elderly couple utilize the gas stove for cooking on a daily basis whilst the other families only on occasions. The latter families use the gas stove when they lacked firewood or during bad weather. The families still maintain the refilling of their units with manure twice a week. According to the families, the project had assisted their families greatly and eased the financial burden in paying for kerosene and such. 9

The only setback the families mentioned was the smell from the unit at times. None have started a vegetable garden from the manure for the unit yet.

Today other families are anxious to have their units installed. Therefore the Kaupule Nanumea is in the process of seeking funds to extend the project to all of the households on the island.

Fig6: Digester unit, Nanumea Island Fig7: Cooking from the gas stove attached to the unit, Nanumea

3. Analysis of the Biogas Project

The approach of the project to both project sites is communal targeted in order to induce their participations in the project so to sustain the project. Two methods of community participation were encouraged. The one on Amatuku was not a success because the unit installed was intended to be communal-owned. On Nanumea, the community owned the project as a whole but implemented on trial for four families only for a start where each owned a unit and which became a great success.

The project maintained the traditional structure and values of the Tuvaluans especially their communal setup. However, on Amatuku the community was not a culturally structured

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because the families living on the island are workers for the school and originally from the different islands. Therefore the families had no obligations for their participation in the project as a community and they feel isolated from each other. The only commonality is their responsibilities towards the welfare of the students of the school but have no spirituality attachment to the place. Consequently of those differences, there is no community spirituality and a feeling of obligations to sustain the project. This is reflected in the failure of the project on Amatuku.

On Nanumea, the project was successful and had benefitted the four families who participated in the pilot component of the project. Some of the contributing factors to the success of the project on Nanumea is namely because the community themselves identified the project as a critical need in the first place. Secondly, the community decided first as how best the project could be implemented. In the initial stage of the project, Alofa Tuvalu Project Officers suggested to the Kaupule to build a gas unit at the Kaupule area as a pilot demonstration to the community so by the end of the project, the unit would be owned by the Kaupule.

The Kaupule decided otherwise that the demonstration unit would not be effective and a success but to install the units for the first four households for trial before this could be extended to the rest of the island population if it became a success. Basically the Kaupule did not want to take responsible in maintaining costs of the unit once the project finished because the Kaupule had reservations that the gas stove might be underutilized and later neglected by the islanders.

The involvement of the Falekaupule in the project somehow motivated many islanders to become involved and took interests in the project so to suggest alternatives solutions for the sustainability of the project. In addition, the four participating families volunteered on their accords of interests and even boldly pledged in-front of the whole island community to make the project a success for the benefits of everyone.

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4. Lessons Learnt

The Biogas Project in Tuvalu had assisted families in Tuvalu communities especially on Nanumea Island. However, in the implementation phase of the project, experiences gained on the failures and successes of the project were effort made to enhance the use of biogas to improve the livelihood of our community. Moreover, communities were encouraged to utilize environmental friendly practices to lessen pollution to the ozone layer. Based from the experiences gained from promoting biogas from pig manure, the followings are lessons learnt and to be considered to induce community participation for the success of future projects on the islands:

 Involvement of the community in decision making of the project on how the project is to be implemented is paramount;

 To develop the feeling of ownership amongst the community is vital and this would promote the sustainability of the project in the long term;

 Direct consultation with the community is important so that the community receives the information directly and so they comprehend thoroughly the processes of the project and for them to make responses and queries before the project is implemented. In comparison with Amatuku, consultation was made with the Head of the Maritime school alone so the community on Amatuku was not well informed about the project when implemented. On Nanumea, Kaupule and the Falekaupule (the whole community) were consulted and encouraged to voice their opinions about the implementation of the project; and last but not the least;

 Cultural practices and social structures need to be known in the implementation of the project in the sustainable of the project after the project withdraws. For instance, the site of the kitchen selected at Amatuku near the pigsties is not acceptable to most Tuvaluans and that individual households who are neither related do not cook in a communal kitchen except for a special gatherings or functions. Amatuku community is 12

made up of individual households from the different islands backgrounds with no spiritual bonds and obligations to others. So, the sustainability of the project on Amatuku islet is fragile compares to the well structured community on Nanumea island where the project had been a success.

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References:

A National Demographical Report 2002, Tuvalu Government, Funafuti, Tuvalu (2002)

Nanumea Profile Report 2012, Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Home Affairs, Funafuti, Tuvalu(2012).

Funafuti Profile Report 2012, Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Home Affairs, Funafuti, Tuvalu (2012)

National Land and Survey Report, Department of Lands and Survey, Ministry of Natural Resources, Tuvalu Government, Funafuti, Tuvalu.

Dept. Lands & Survey, 2004 – data from 1986-88; Hemstock, 2005; McLean & Hosking, 1991; Seluka et al, 1998; Trewren; 1984.

Small is Beautiful: An analysis of the NGO Alofa Tuvalu’s 10 year renewable energy project in Tuvalu; Hemstock L. Sarah.

SGP PEF Project Progress Report: Alofa Tuvalu; Hemstock L. Sarah (May 2012) Funafuti, Tuvalu.

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