ADB to provide $3.3m for renewable energy in rural areas

Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide a US$3.3 million as grant for implementing renewable energy projects in rural areas with no access to grid electricity. Government signed on June 29 a technical assistance grant agreements of $3.3 million with the ADB at a ceremony at Sher-e- Bangla Nagar.

The grant will provide $25 subsidy per solar home systems (SHS) to a total of 80,000 low-income end-users. The assistance will also promote biomass, biogas, and wind as alternative sources of energy. In addition, the grant will help IDCOL improve its administrative and monitoring capacities.



Saifuddin Ahmed, Joint Secretary, Economic Relations Division (ERD); Islam Sharif, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (IDCOL), and Thevakumar Kandiah, Country Director of ADB's Bangladesh Resident Mission, signed the agreements on behalf of Bangladesh and ADB respectively.

The grant assistance supplements a $33 million sub- project promoting renewable energy under the $165 million Public-Private Infrastructure Development Facility project approved by ADB in 2008. Asian Clean Energy Fund established by the Government of Japan will provide $2,000,000 while ADB's Climate Change Fund will provide $1,300,000 to make the total grant amount of $3.3 million.

"The assistance will support Bangladesh's efforts to increase access to electricity in remote rural areas and to reduce carbon emissions by overcoming market barriers for renewable energy development", said Thevakumar Kandiah, Country Director of ADB's Bangladesh Resident Mission. "Among many benefits, rural people will be able to operate their small businesses longer hours, and students will have extended hours of study at night", said Kandiah.

The IDCOL estimates that each SHS saves at least $61.80 worth of kerosene every year and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 375 kilograms (kg) annually as a result. Therefore, the 80,000 new SHSs to be installed through this grant assistance will bring a reduction of about 27,600 tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year.

Bangladesh likely to have own space satellite by 2013

Bangladesh is likely to have its own satellite in the space by the end of 2013 as the Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO) is jointly working with Asia Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCOP) in this regard.

Addressing the inaugural session of a two-day seminar on space technology application at SPARSO auditorium here today, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury said, the government has made a significant progress to this end with its limited resources.



"Our satellite will not be for capturing the space, but using the space technology for welfare of our people," she said lambasting the donors for their reluctance to provide support for the space satellite project.

"We are trying to launch two satellites- one for high resolution image and other for communication with the technological support of the APSCOP," chairman of the SPARSO Mujibur Rahman Hawlader said.

State Minister for Environment and Forests Dr Hasan Mahmud attended the function as special guest while secretary of the Ministry of Defence M Asaduzzaman was in the chair.

Begum Matia Chowdhury praised the role and activities of SPARSO and said the organization over the years has been playing a very effective role in promoting space science and technology in the fields of agriculture, forestry, geology, cartography, water resources, land use and land cover.

She reiterated the political commitment of the present government to strengthen the SPARSO to promote space research and survey and disseminate the findings to the government, relevant authorities and different user groups to lessen the extent of damage in natural disasters.

She alleged that all governments except Awami League was reluctant to capacity building of the SPARSO saying the SPARSO data helped taking many preventive and precautionary measures during floods and cyclones in 1997 and 1998 when the Awami League government was in power. But, the process was not followed in 1991 and 2008, she said.

State Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said promotion of space science and technology is very crucial for Bangladesh, as the country, according to many credible organizations, is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change.

He laid importance on capacity building of the SPARSO both from skilled manpower and technological aspects and said the Ministry of Environment and Forests has already approved a Taka 15-crore project from Climate Change Trust Fund for capacity building of the SPARSO.

Dr Hasan said the MoEF also has undertaken a project for satellite monitoring of country's forest resources and said the project would help watching 10 feet X10 feet forest area. Focusing on government's vision for building a Digital Bangladesh, he said space science should be given high priority to help the country advance towards progress and prosperity. -BSS