Biogas in Uganda and the SDGs: A comparative cross-sectional fuel analysis of wood and biogas on case of Iganga district

Bc. Phiona Jackline Mukisa

Master's thesis

Abstract:

This study aims at investigating the use of small-scale biogas technologies vis-à-vis wood-fuel and their implementation benefits in terms of the socio-economic, environmental, health and climate aspects in relation to the SDGs attainment among households in the rural areas of Iganga district, Eastern Uganda. A mixed method design was used with a sample population of 300 households in addition to 6 local government officials and 8 NGOs. 262 questionnaires were returned after data collection; 6 government officials and 6 out of 8 NGOs were interviewed, data was coded and analysed using Microsoft excel and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Household perceptions on use of biogas technology showed that users reflects clean gas production with 46.9%, biogas plants being easy to maintain and operate with 34.5%, low installation costs with 4.3% while those that had other reasons and missing data at 4% and 10.2% respectively. The motivating factors for its use included biogas being smoke free, women and children getting time to engage in other development activities and reduced time spent on cooking. MANOVA test results for biogas use having a significant impact on SDG attainment showed there was a significant impact of using biogas vis-à-vis wood fuel towards SDG attainment with F-ratios (.71, .56 & .88) greater than the a = .05. One-Way ANOVA test reported that access to biogas knowledge and technical expertise were the main variables hindering the adoption and use of biogas technologies besides other factors at a=.05 where the variances of each comparison group were equal meaning the overall F-ratio for ANOVA were significant. The findings also showed that the government has played little or no role in promoting biogas usage compared to the NGOs that have played a remarkable role in biogas promotion and usage. The approaches used by the government (top-down approach) in development of renewable energies has impacted negatively on the acceptability and sustainability of the initiatives implemented. Therefore, it is recommended that the government properly revises the development and implementation policies and frameworks on renewable energies in addition, to putting an emphasis on subsidy facilities to increase the adoption rates.

Keywords

Biogas, Energy Consumption, Fuel Sources, Domestic Energy, Biogas Energy, Biogas Technology, Waste mangement, Uganda

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 6. 8. 2021

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: Ing. Hynek Roubík, Ph.D.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme:
Tropical Farming Systems