In Indonesia many rural families depend on farming to generate income and are vulnerable to climate change. Biogas digesters improve resilience and livelihoods. Cooking with biogas saves time and
empowers women. Using bio-slurry on crops generates extra income
In rural Indonesia farming depends on a healthy natural environment. Because of the increasing threat from the changing climate, farming income is put at risk.Domestic biogas provides a sustainable way for small farmers with livestock to reduce dependence on firewood and expensive fossil fuels for cooking. Biogas significantly improves living conditions and helps to mitigate the negative effects of climate change.
The Indonesia Domestic Biogas Programme (IDBP) is called the BIRU programme in Indonesia. BIRU means ‘blue’ and is an acronym of Biogas Rumah, which translates as ‘biogas for the home’. The BIRU programme has built biogas installations in 12 provinces in Indonesia, namely Lampung, West Java, DKI Jakarta, Banten, Central Java, D.I. Yogyakarta, East Java, South Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, and East Nusa Tenggara (Sumba).
The BIRU programme was initiated by Hivos, working closely with the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the SNV (Netherlands Development Organization). Hivos has founded and strengthened Yayasan Rumah Energi (YRE) which has become a strong organization to implement BIRU. In 2021 Hivos handed over carbon project development and certification to YRE. FairClimateFund has adopted the sale of Gold Standard carbon credits, generated from this project,
from Hivos in 2022.
The biogas programme distributes biogas digesters as a local sustainable energy source by developing a commercial, market-oriented sector. This provides business opportunities for construction companies and employment for masons. Farmers receive a subsidy from the carbon finance and have access to loans through local cooperatives.
To endorse its positive social and economic benefits for women, in 2015 the programme acquired the W+ Standard. This is an unique label developed by WOCAN to measure women’s empowerment. The WOCAN W+ team applies the W+ Standard in collaboration with BIRU in two provinces of Indonesia: West Nusa Tenggara and East Java. The W+ time method quantifies women-benefit as daily saved time of 61 minutes.
1. No poverty
2. Zero hunger
