Empowering The Local Community Via Biomass Utilization: A Case Study In Thailand

As an agricultural country, Thailand produces a large amount of agricultural products and the stench of decomposing biomass is a common problem in many local communities. To dispose of biomass, some communities have utilized it to produce renewable energy or other products for household purposes. Currently, some villages have successfully implemented biomass utilization technology at the household level. Villagers have adopted skills and technical knowledge on biomass waste management from institutions dedicated to research on the development of renewable energy technology at the community level and are now able to mitigate and control waste problems systematically. Presently, biomass utilization technologies in Thailand are able to produce biogas, biodiesel, livestock feeds and organic fertilizers. In addition to the aforementioned environmental and economic benefits, villages that have adopted biomass utilization technology were also able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, prevent deforestation and reduce household spending for energy and farming products. This paper investigates the current status of the general renewable energy policy in Thailand with specific focus on biomass utilization as a renewable energy source. Case studies further illustrate how these energy policies are being implemented at the community level. We apply the strength, weakness, opportunity and threat (SWOT) analysis to further analyze the case studies, identify potential issues and propose counter measures to solve the