Since 1993, SKG Sangha, an Indian NGO, has been focused on sustainable development solutions in the region of Karnataka. In particular, it installs biogas digestors for rural families located primarily in the south of India, and also promotes vermicomposting.

But what are biogas digestors?

An alternative to traditional cookstoves, they can be used for or cooking and heating in a sustainable, clean way. Fuelled by organic materials, they release biogas—a vast improvement from the smoke release from wood fires.

The residue created can then be combined with straw and digested by worms in what is known as vermicomposting. The compost resulting from the process enhances soils structure: it supports the activity of micro-organisms while providing nutritious elements to the plants.

Why is this project important?

A high proportion of Indian families living in rural areas depend on firewood, cow dung and kerosene for cooking and lighting, but the use of these materials can cause respiratory and eye infections due to the smoke.

In addition, in most of the villages, waste management poses major problems—this method cuts down on waste produced. Finally, the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides raises the price of agricultural production and reduces soil fertility and crop yields in the long term—the organic compost used as an alternative can help restore that fertility.

The distribution of these digesters therefore provides a real solution to problems faced by the rural families in India. This project will equip more than 800 rural Indian families in the district of Arakalagudu with these solutions.

BNP Paribas Investment Solutions supports this project through its partnership with Action Carbone, run by the GoodPlanet Foundation. Their support is equivalent to the total greenhouse gas emissions related to an environmental conference for investment managers in which they participated.