Smith Michael T, Goebel Jessica Schroenn, Blignaut James N
University of KwaZulu-Natal, King Edward Avenue, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3201, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
University of KwaZulu-Natal, King Edward Avenue, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3201, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Waste Manag. 2014 Feb;34(2):352-62. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2013.10.042. Epub 2013 Nov 25.
Given the persistence of systemic poverty in, most notably, the rural parts of South Africa, the question is whether the use of biodigesters as a source of energy offers potential solutions to some of the difficulties and development needs faced by people in these areas. At the core, this translates into whether this technology would be financially and economically feasible for installation and use by rural households. Here we conduct both a financial and an economic cost-benefit analysis in one such community based on survey data from 120 households. Analysis of these data and supporting literature reveals that a biodigester is not a financially feasible investment for a rural household. Substantial economic benefits are, however, found to make a biodigester a worthwhile investment from a broader societal perspective. This is a compelling argument for further study and the consideration of government support in the light of broader economy-wide benefits.
鉴于系统性贫困在南非农村地区尤为持久地存在，问题在于使用沼气池作为能源来源是否能为这些地区的人们所面临的一些困难和发展需求提供潜在解决方案。从核心层面来看，这转化为这项技术对于农村家庭安装和使用在财务和经济上是否可行。在此，我们基于对120户家庭的调查数据，在这样一个社区进行了财务和经济成本效益分析。对这些数据及相关文献的分析表明，沼气池对于农村家庭来说并非一项财务上可行的投资。然而，从更广泛的社会视角来看，发现大量经济效益使得沼气池成为一项值得投资的项目。鉴于更广泛的全经济范围的效益，这是一个有力论据，支持进一步研究以及考虑政府支持。
