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Conference on Decentralised Wastewater Management in Asia
Friday, 20 April 2012
The world is facing immerse challenges arising from rapid population growth and intense urbanisation. In Asia, more than half of the population now live in towns and cities, and by 2030 it is estimated that this will reach 70%. Population densities in Asian cities are much higher than other parts of the world, and the predominance of poverty in urban slums is ubiquitous throughout the region. As a result of this crisis, demand for affordable but effective wastewater management systems is increasing and there is a growing body of science and practice which demonstrates the opportunities for implementing wastewater management systems based on a decentralised approach. The decentralised approach – referred to as DEWATS - has been demonstrated to be a cost-effective and efficient way of wastewater treatment to improve environmental health conditions as well as providing opportunities for re-use and resource recovery. Decentralised approaches also offer increased opportunities for local stakeholder participation in planning and decision-making. Co-organised with the Bremen Overseas...
Read moreNew Pico-hydropower project at LIRE
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
LIRE is pleased to announce a new pico-hydropower electricity project with Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), which will see the installation of a small pico-hydropower electricity system in Long District, Luang Namtha Province. This extremely remote region contains villages of the Akha tribe that rely on subsistence farming and gathering in the forest for income. NCA has been supporting Akha tribe for the last 15 years, and LIRE hopes to bring new opportunities for these villagers by proving energy source. The system will be operated by a village technician and managed by a village energy committee. Villagers will then be able to use electricity in their homes in exchange for a small monthly fee, which will cover the salary of the village technician and maintenance of the system. This model ensures sustainable operation through villager responsibility. The project will be split into two phases. The first phase is already underway, and of the twenty three villages visited in the target area, nine have...
Read moreA significant move in LIRE’s biofuel program
Wednesday, 07 March 2012
LIRE after several years of research on agriculture and specifically jatropha crop, is excited to be able to showcase our new biodiesel production and test site in Vientiane capital as well as samples from our first batches of biodiesel made from feedstock grown locally here in Lao PDR. Our biofuels team are working to assess the viability decentralised small scale biodiesel production in Lao PDR including the first pilot implementation at district level. In partnership FACT and EEP Mekong, the project, which has been live since mid 2011, has evaluated the wide variety of available feedstocks as well as the potential districts in which the decentralised production may commence. The reactor, sourced from neighbouring Thailand, uses a process called ‘transesterification’ to convert straight vegetable oil into biodiesel. Transesterification is cited as the most appropriate low-tech option for use in Lao PDR, where technical understanding of the chemical process is at a young age and a simple, easily maintained solution is most...
Read moreLIRE is looking for two highly competent Lao nationals to join the team
Monday, 05 March 2012
We are looking for two highly competent Lao nationals to join: 1) the Bio-energy project team 2) the Public Relations and Communication department More information can be found in the vacancy announcement. Interested candidates should send their CV and Application Letter (specifying the position for which they are applying) in English, academic transcripts and photo, by email to: hr@lao-ire.org no later than 16:00 on Friday 9th March 2012.
Read moreCITYBLUES++ , brings a modern ecological sanitation and water quality concept with the Energy-Food-Water security Nexus
Friday, 24 February 2012
LIRE is pleased to inform readers about the start of a new project that brings modern ecological development to Vientiane. CITYBLUES++ proposes to have a new look at the problem of water quality and sanitation in Vientiane capital. The new model integrates the Energy-Food-Water security Nexus and builds the drainage systems into a broader set of climate-change adaptation measures. CITYBLUES++ is a follow up programme of the previously successful CityBlues program (2004-2007) which aims to implement a large scale demonstration and evidence-based assessment of an integrated approach to urban drainage management in direct support to both decision making and policy making. The 6-months project will see Lao stakeholders getting together to agree on the most suitable sanitation options they want to proceed with for Vientiane capital. In order to achieve this, LIRE as the local partner of Kristianstad University, Sweden, will deliver 3 workshops to promote and support discussions among policymakers and practitioners responsible for Vientiane’s development. CITYBLUES++ received the...
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