Improved Cookstove And Biogas Programmes In Bangladesh
Bangladesh, with a total surface area of about 147,570
km2, is inhabited by about 140 million people, making it
one of the most densely populated countries in the world.
The total annual per capita energy consumption of the
country in 1995 was estimated at 8.467 GJ. The shares
of commercial energy (coal, oil, gas and hydropower) and
biomass fuels were estimated at 3.203 and 5.264 GJ respectively
[Islam, 2001]. This is among the lowest per
capita energy consumption rates in the world. Commercial
energy comprising oil, natural gas, coal and hydroelectricity
accounts for about one-third of the total energy
consumption. The remaining two-thirds is attributed to
non-commercial renewable sources. Out of the different
renewable sources, biomass, peat, solar radiation, wind
and hydropower can be effectively used in Bangladesh.
