Energy from anaerobic digesters for water management: A case study of Pakistan

The ongoing energy crisis and high energy tariffs in Pakistan has hit the farmers´ community hard as these farmers are largely dependent on tube well technology for pumping ground water to supplement the deficit in canal water supplies for their agriculture. Biogas from anaerobic digestion processing of livestock manure could be a possible alternative form of energy for these tube wells. The country has a great potential for biogas generation because there is sufficient manure, construction material and human resource required for the manufacturing of biogas plants. This technology will significantly reduce farmers´ spending on fuel. Besides, the biogas can also be consumed to light kitchen stoves for cooking purposes and other domestic purposes. Furthermore, this green technology will not only reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions, but the nutrient value of digested effluent will also be enhanced. Consequentially, the cost of chemical fertilizers will be cut down due to these bio-fertilizers´ application. Hence the soil productivity is increased and the financial constraint on resource poor farmer is reduced.