Agricultural Land in the GMS (thousand hectare) in ... - GMS-EOC

Emptying waste into a householdbiogas collector, also known as ananaerobic digester, Cambodia.Total Potential and InstalledHydropower Capacity in the GMS(megawatt)GMS Country Installed Capacity PotentialCambodia 13 5,000–8,600People’s Republic of ChinaGuangxi 25,100 78,800Yunnan 11,980 90,000Lao PDR 1,826 23,000Myanmar 2,521 100,000Thailand 3,424 10,000Viet Nam 4,155 15,000TOTAL 49,019 248,000GMS = Greater Mekong Subregion, Lao PDR = Lao People’s Democratic Republic.Source: ADB. 2008. Integrating Biofuel and Rural Renewable Energy Production inAgriculture for Poverty Reduction in the Greater Mekong Subregion: An overview andStrategic Framework for Biofuels Development. Manila; ADB. 2008. Energy Sector inthe Greater Mekong Subregion. Manila; Lao PDR. 2010. Briefing on Lao PDR PowerDevelopment Plan 2010 – 2020. Prepared for the GMS Ninth Meeting of the RegionalPower Trade Coordination Committee, October 2010. Shenzhen, PRC; Myanmar. 2010.Myanmar Briefing. Prepared for the GMS Ninth Meeting of the Regional Power TradeCoordination Committee, October 2010. Shenzhen, PRC.Two thirds of the hydropower potential in theGMS are in Myanmar and Yunnan, with smallerbut still substantial resources across the subregion.Hydropower is currently the main source for crossborderelectricity trading. The Lao PDR, for example,currently sells 1,881 megawatts of hydropowerto Thailand. Future development of hydropowercapacity will rely on significant expansion of crossborderelectricity trading. Also, small, low-impacthydropower plants, which have the potential tobe widely deployed throughout the GMS, couldprovide electricity access in rural areas.The development of hydropower resources isnot without costs. Large plants could reduce theavailability of water resources, displace peoplefrom their land, and disturb ecosystems. There isalso a strong perception that the planning process isskewed toward favoring the broader economic gainsfrom hydropower plants over their environmentalimpact. An environmental assessment frameworkthat is integrated into the planning process wouldprovide a way to manage and mitigate the negativeimpacts of hydropower development.Biomass and Biogas. Numerous renewable energysources are available within the GMS. Biomass,especially in the form of fuelwood, remains themajor source of energy for lighting and heating inmost of the GMS (except Thailand), particularly inrural areas. In 2005, the share of biomass in the totalprimary energy supply was 26%, though down from31% in 2000. Biomass is used by over 50% of therural population in Viet Nam, 83% of householdsin Cambodia, 80% of households in the Lao PDR,and 93% of rural households in Myanmar. InYunnan, almost 41% of rural households are totallydependent on firewood for cooking. In Thailand,77% of the 2,120 megawatts of renewable energycapacity is fuelled by biomass, such as rice husks,bagasse, and wood and other agricultural residues.The use of forest biomass resources hasseveral implications for energy security andenvironmental sustainability in the subregion.Poor households often spend a significantamount of their income on fuelwood orcharcoal. Forest resources are important forbiodiversity and are also a source of livelihoodfor many people in rural areas. Forest resourceshave declined steadily over the last two decades,aggravating social and economic vulnerabilitiesof the rural population.Biogas can provide rural households withmodern lighting and heating. As a cheap, cleaneralternative to biomass, biogas could reducepressure on forest resources. The PRC’s biogasdevelopment initiative is the most extensivein the GMS: approximately 26.5 million ruralhouseholds deploy biogas facilities that generateabout one billion cubic meters of methane. Thetechnology is being extended to other GMScountries through pilot projects supported by theGovernment of the Netherlands.Biofuels. Spurred by strong national programs,biofuels are rapidly emerging as an importantenergy source for the GMS. The PRC (as a whole)ranks as the third largest producer of bioethanolin the world. Within the PRC, Guangxi producesethanol from cassava at one of the PRC’s five mainbioethanol plants; Yunnan is a demonstrationprovince for biodiesel from jatropha. Thailandranks as the eighth largest producer of biofuels.Between 2000 and 2009, transport energy demandin the GMS (excluding PRC) increased 50%.The high dependence on oil imports is likely toremain as demand continues to outpace domesticproduction. Future demand for oil accounts forapproximately 40% of the increase in total energyconsumption through 2025. Biofuels providean alternative to oil products, reducing importvulnerabilities and offering an environmentallybenign energy option for the fast growingtransportation sector.Biofuels also offer a strong developmentdividend. They provide new markets for existingagricultural products and could enhanceeconomic opportunities in the agricultural sector,which sustains the majority of the subregion’spopulation. Biofuel produced from conversion of10% of the available land and wasted grain coulddisplace up to 34% of the conventional transportfuel energy demand with biodiesel and even morewith bioethanol.Despite the potential, biofuel development is notwithout challenges. Experience suggests that ifdeployed unsustainably, biofuels can be associatedwith numerous risks. Increased demand forbiofuel feedstock like maize and cassava leads tocompetition with the food industry, thus raisingfood prices and endangering food security. Biofueldevelopment could threaten rural livelihoods byfavoring large-scale plantation systems, reducingbiodiversity, and affecting soil and water quality.Several best practices to mitigate these risks,such as use of surplus land, small holder-basedproduction, use of nonfood crops and second190 Greater Mekong Subregion Atlas of the Environment