Abstract
In Ethiopia, the dissemination of domestic biogas has been practiced at national level starting from 1979, however in the case of Shebedino district, Sidama zone, southern Ethiopia, its dissemination started in 2014. Consequently, there are limited empirical evidences concerning to the overall impacts of the technology on environment. Thus, this study examined roles of biogas technology on conservation of forest and climate change mitigation in Shebedino District, Sidama Zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia.
The respondents were selected through stratified random sampling procedure. Thus, 199 households were surveyed (with 52 adopters and 147 non adopters), and 6 key informant interviews, 4 focus group discussions and direct observation technique were used for primary data collection. Participatory experimental research (KPT) was carried out using 40 selected household of both biogas adopters and non-adopters (20 for each category). Independent sample t-test and chi-square test were employed to analyze the collected data. Binary logistic regression model was used to predict factors that influenced biogas technology adoption and utilization. Experimental data was analyzed by using Excel spreadsheets of KPT software. Estimation of fuel wood saved, forest area saved and GHG emission reduced and sequestered can be determined through calculation. T-test result of the study showed that there was significant (at 1% and 5% significance level) mean difference between adopter and non-adopter for the variables like: age, educational status, household size, income, cattle size, land size, distance to water. ꭓ2test result on gender and awareness showed also statistically significant ꭓ2 value at 1% significance level. In a Shebedino district, majority of households were non-adopters of biogas technology, the factors that were found to be responsible for the low adoption of biogas in the district were: gender, educational status, age, household size, average annual income and cattle number. From KPT result, the annual fuelwood saving potential of the technology was found to be 1514.6 Kgs (34.71%) of fuel wood per biogas plant/year with an emission reduction potential of 2.2995 tons of CO2e per biogas plant/year, forest area saving found to be 17 trees per biogas plant/year and 0.357 tons of CO2 sequestered per 17 tree (biogas plan t) /year. In total, from 63 functional biogas 95419.8 kg fuelwood saved/year, 144.9 tons of CO2e reduced (mitigated)/year, 0.612hectare (1071) tree saved/year and 22.44 tons of CO2e sequestered/year by saved trees. From the result of this study it is evident that GHG emission into atmosphere has been reduced, and this led to minimize average global temperature which could result in climate change mitigation .Therefore biogas production plays important role on conservation of forest and climate change mitigation. As a result of the study, it was recommended tha,t upgrading the existing model of biogas technology to include different stove type which used to multi cooking purpose; this is supposed to reinforce adoption of biogas technology.
Keywords: Fuelwood, Conservation, Forest, Greenhouse Gases, Biogas energy, Climate.
