From Cows To Kilowatts A Case Study in Successful Technology Transfer

In the face of the combined challenges of climate change, environmental degradation and poverty, an increasing number of companies, governments and NGOs are opting to join forces. Large scale partnerships involving global players are the most visible examples of such cooperative approaches. Yet projects initiated at the local level sometimes offer more tangible outcomes.

The Seed Initiative (Supporting Entrepreneurs for Environment and Development) was founded by the UN Development Program (UNDP), the UN Environment Program (UNEP) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in order to support locally driven, entrepreneurial partnerships for sustainable development. It found that a huge variety of such local initiatives exists, often working to enhance environmental sustainability while at the same time alleviating poverty and hunger. Many of these initiatives rely on the generation or transfer of relevant knowledge and technology.

The Nigerian Cows to Kilowatts initiative is an example of such a project. One of five Seed Award winners in 2005, it epitomizes how an innovative approach based on cooperative partnerships can have a real impact on the environment and on the well-being of local communities.

The problem

Slaughterhouses are a major source of water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, especially in the developing world. Specific regulations for abattoirs often do not exist, or are poorly monitored and enforced. Untreated wastewater enters local rivers and water sources, affecting the development of aquatic life. Slaughter house waste often carries animal diseases that can be transferred to humans, while the anaerobic degradation of wastewater generates methane and carbon dioxide - greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change.

A Nigerian engineer, Dr. Joseph Adelegan, drew attention to this issue. He studied the effects of waste- water discharged from the Bodija Market Abattoir in Ibadan, where nearly two thirds of the animals in Oyo State are slaughtered. He found high levels of organic pollution with strongly negative impacts on nearby communities. Seeking a solution, Dr. Adelegan's NGO, the Global Network for Environment and Economic Development Research (GNEEDR), joined...