Beyond climatic intervention: The social dimension of a biogas project in Sogwala village, Zimbabwe

Abstract

There is now considerable interest to understand how local communities experiencing climatic risks can benefit from climate change responses. As this agenda unfolds, there is need to understand the impact of climate-related interventions from the perspective of local populations targeted by such projects. Existing assessment approaches tend to concentrate on the environmental and economic impacts of projects that minimise greenhouse gas emissions. This study assesses the social aspect of a domestic biogas project that was intended to address the twin challenges of poverty and climate change in Sogwala village, Zimbabwe. A three-tier methodological execution process was adopted, involving field reconnaissance, household survey and key informant interviews. The focus was on measuring the social dimension of the changes brought about by the project, from the experiences of participating households. With a consciousness of assessment challenges associated with community projects, social capital parameters were used to assess the project’s contribution to the social well-being of the villagers. Overall, results show that the biogas project has the potential to facilitate social development through improved trust and social networks. Despite the contested climatic benefits associated with small-scale household biogas digesters, projects of this nature can enhance community relationships and networks, upon which other development interventions can be operationalised.

Mental health and psychosocial interventions in the context of climate change: a scoping review

“…All were secondary analyses of the social impacts of climate interventions, which originally did not have a mental health focus (and hence did not meet our inclusion criteria and were not summarized narratively in our results). In one study based in Zimbabwe, it was found retrospectively that a biogas project contributed to community cohesion and empowerment 64 ; in another study based in China, planned relocation and sheltering was found to be protective against depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms among flood victims 65 . In contrast, a study conducted in six LMICs (Brazil, Cameroon, Indonesia, Peru, Tanzania, and Vietnam) concluded that the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) initiative may have negatively impacted women’s wellbeing 66 .…”

Is Using Biogas Fuel More Profitable for Rural Communities in Yogyakarta?

“…A village is a legal community unit with territorial boundaries to regulate and manage government affairs and local community interests based on community initiatives, origin rights, and traditional rights [2]. Those are recognized and respected in the government system of the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia.…”