Several initial studies highlight the potential economic and environmental benefits of using rice blocs during construction.
It may look like a normal building location, but the new home at Akmatbek Uraimov in Kyrgyzstan is built with chunks of rice.
Environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional construction materials are booming in Central Asian countries, which are vulnerable to tackling global warming and water shortages.
Before choosing unorthodox materials, Ureimov had been researching other options, but concluded that a relatively inexpensive block made from rice husk was his best option.
“It turned out to be convenient in terms of insulation, cost and builders,” said Ureimov, who lives in the village of Kizirkiya in southern Kyrgyzstan.
“People didn’t know about it. Now they saw it, they’re interested, they called,” he told AFP.
Nursultan Taabaldyev is one of the pioneers of Central Asia’s technology and is welcomed as an eco-friendly alternative to water-intensive concrete.
At Batken’s hometown workshop, rice dust was swirling through the air from its shell. This is the outer shell of coarse rice that is usually thrown away or burned.
Workers with protective masks on their faces compressed the bricks before drying them, helping clients load the finished blocks onto the track.
Cement is more expensive in Kyrgyzstan than anywhere else in Central Asia.
They are “made from 60% rice husks. The rest is a glue that is free of clay, cement or chemicals,” Taabaldyev told AFP.
When dried, it is as strong as cement, thanks to the silica that is naturally present in the shell.
“This idea came to me as a child while I was doing carpentry with my dad,” Taabaldyev said.
The 27-year-old already built “300 houses” in five years.
“There is no special danger.”
When he began, there was little robust research into the technique.
That’s starting to change.
Several early studies from various countries highlight the potential economic and environmental benefits of using rice blocs for construction.
Importantly, according to 2023 figures from the World Economic Forum, there is less cement, which accounts for around 8% of the world’s carbon footprint.
The materials are within reach, and the Batken region produces one-third of Kyrgyzstan’s rice crop.
Ykhval Boriyeva chooses rice blocks and praises its insulation in a village in arid regions in mountainous regions.
Her home remains “warm in winter and cool in spring” thanks to its low thermal conductivity.
“We save coal. The walls hold well heat and cold,” she said.
The materials are within reach, and the Batken region produces one-third of Kyrgyzstan’s rice crop.
“Rice waste is thrown into the fields and burns slowly, harms the environment and is not used as fertilizer. So we decided to recycle it,” Taabaldyev said.
In large rice producers like India, the problems dealing with rice waste are even more severe.
According to a survey published by Springer Nature at the end of last year, “31.4 million tons of rice husks fill the landfill and cause environmental problems.”
If ventilation is poor, “Farmers are happy to remove lightning bolts and are happy to remove rice waste,” and the barn will be barn in the barn.
However, regarding the dangers of fire in buildings made of rice, a local official from Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Emergency said there was “no special danger.”
Rice husks from paddy fields in this area are usually burned or discarded.
Next is “Smashed Reed.”
Farmer Abdimamat Saparov welcomes Tabaldiev’s innovative approach and is another pointing to a mountain of rice waste.
“After harvesting and drying the rice, about 40% of the waste remains, but there is no way to treat it,” Saparov said.
This richness makes blocks cheaper than regular building bricks. This is another important factor in southern Kyrgyzstan, with an average monthly salary of around $230.
Cement is more expensive in Kyrgyzstan than anywhere else in Central Asia. The government is pondering about adding it to its list of socially sensitive products, along with bread and oil.
Proven the concept of mountainous regions, Taabaldyev dreams of industrialised production, expanding internationally, and focusing on potential materials.
“I want to go to Kazakhstan (nearby) and make bricks from crushed leads and straws,” he said.
©2025 AFP
Quote: Houses Made from Rice: The Eco-Friendly Revolution of Kyrgyzstan (July 7, 2025) From July 8, 2025 https://techxplore.com/news/2025-07–houses-lice-kyrgyzstan-eco-friediend.html
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