Preliminary Cost Benefit Analysis of a Biogas Digester - Case Study in Solomon Islands

The Choiseul Integrated Climate Change Programme (CHICCHAP) aims to reduce vulnerability of the Lauru people of Choiseul against natural hazards, food insecurity and climate change threats. It is a jointly implemented strategy between the Solomon Islands Government, Choiseul Province and seven development partners; the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, United States Agency for International Development, Australian Aid Programme of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Nature Conservancy and the United Nations Development Programme.

A part of this work is being implemented through the Tarekukure Provincial Development Farm (PDF); a Government extension facility farm, which provides assistance in agriculture-related matters to the local communities of Choiseul. A new part of their project is the introduction of biogas digesters into Choiseul communities, to increase energy security and resilience to external price shocks. As a first step, the PDF Government team, Tarekukure, will set up a biogas digester next to their piggery in their demonstration site to make use of the swine manure waste. Data will be collected by the PDF team on the costs and benefits of this demonstration and, if overall benefits are produced, this message can be disseminated to the communities. The long-term objective is to create demand-driven development at the village level through trainings and raising awareness.

Several steps in order to facilitate the evaluation of biogas digester technology have already been carried out. Three economists from SPC and GIZ provided an interactive four-day training course on cost benefit analyses (CBAs) in Honiara during February 2014. The participants were all Government Ministry officers who carry out project evaluations and decision making in their daily work. Two extension staff from the Tarekukure PDF completed the training and have been consulted extensively in the writing and review of this document.