Sunday Nov 17, 2024
Sunday Nov 17, 2024
Thursday, 29 January 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The workshop held in Batticaloa was organised in collaboration with the Batticaloa Municipal Council and attended by hoteliers and restaurateurs in the area. The workshop aimed to build awareness on biogas technology and promote sustainable and responsible tourism based on the principles of environmental integrity, social justice and maximising local economic benefits.
“The Municipal Council must use this opportunity to promote renewable energy in the Eastern Province. This awareness workshop can be regarded as the initiation towards the beginning of renewable energy and biogas initiatives in the district,” said Batticaloa Municipal Commissioner M. Uthayakumar.
The hospitality industry is one of the largest drivers of economic growth. It is also one of the most energy-intensive, accounting for around one-fifth of total industrial CO2 emissions. Opting for biogas is a viable option for the tourism sector as it brings hotels one step closer towards obtaining a green certification and also results in waste management, energy generation and bio slurry that can used as a fertiliser.
The Eastern Province hotel industry has five key thrust areas they are working on including good governance, development of tourism related infrastructure, tourism manpower and institutional capacity; and enhancement of business opportunities.
“There is a mass of waste generated through hotels. Having a biogas plant manages this waste and also generates energy that can be used for cooking and lighting purposes and also has a by-product of bio slurry that can be used as an organic fertiliser or soil conditioner,” said Janathakshan Engineer Rohitha Ananda.
The EU SWITCH-Asia initiative is a joint partnership between People in Need, Czand local partner Janathakshan funded by the European Union on a budget of EUR 665,000 geared to promote sustainable consumption and production.
The project is focused on up-scaling biogas technologies for sustainable development, responsible tourism, economic growth contributing to poverty reduction and climate change mitigation in Sri Lanka. The project targets tourism Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), households and public authorities in the country while building the technical capacity of manufacture and construction SMEs in biogas technologies. The project also supports micro-finance institutions to develop financial schemes providing loans for biogas installations to SMEs and households.
The EU SWITCH-Asia initiative assists tourism SMEs and households benefit from sustainable solid waste management and cost savings through energy and resource efficiency. Tourism SMEs adopting “green” technology will also increase their marketing potential and gain the access to “green finances” provided by micro-finance institutions.
