Invasive Lake Weeds have been transformed into Ethiopia’s Clean Energy

For years, Fenty Wabi worked as a fisherman in Lake Tana, Ethiopia, until an aggressive green invader changed everything.

Water hyacinth, a rapidly spreading aquatic weed, has begun to suffocate the lakes that have supported his community.

“As the weeds grew, we were unable to board the boat. It damaged our nets and we were unable to fish before,” he said.

Desperately trying to regain the waters of the fishermen of Shehagongyui village in Gondal Zuriya district, they try to manually remove the hyacinths. However, it was a backward job that didn’t produce results.

“Even after we removed it, it grew quickly,” Wabi said. “The waste was piled up around us and occupied all the land nearby.”

When researchers introduced biogas projects into their communities, WABI was the first to volunteer.

An innovative approach has converted invasive weeds into household energy sources such as cooking fuel, and at the same time cleansing the weed water.

“After installing the biogas system, it made a huge difference,” Wabi said.

His family is currently using gas for cooking and lighting, reducing their dependence on fire.

WABI also uses remaining biosurly as fertilizer on his small farm, with promising results. His corn and vegetables produce more than the previous season when he was dependent on chemical fertilizers.

“Since I started applying slurry, my crops have grown better and look healthier,” he explained.

“I don’t need to buy expensive fertilizers from the market anymore, so it also helps me save money.”

Rapid invasion

Yezbie Kassa, the project’s lead researcher and assistant professor of fisheries and aquatic sciences at Gondar University, visited Lake Tana for her Ph.D. the study.

Meanwhile, she witnessed dramatic ecological changes as the water spread dangerously throughout the lake.

“This invasive plant not only damages the ecosystem of the lake, but also threatens the livelihoods of communities that rely on these waters for food, income and clean water,” she said.

Despite years of community cleansing and government removal efforts, the plants continued to spread.

“The plants were expanding quickly and replacing native species,” recalls Cassa. “Even if it was removed, the waste was stacked up in the village, raising new environmental and health issues.”

Eradication efforts are unsustainable unless weeds are used in some way.

“I thought we needed to turn this invasive plant into something useful,” she added. “That’s how the idea of ​​biogas came into being: necessity and opportunity.”

Green Energy

Cassa said she noticed that the rotten water hyacinths released oily substances.

She could convert waste into biogas while using the remaining by-products as fertilizer, offering double benefits for energy access and agricultural productivity.

According to Kassa, the process is simple. Water aging waste and animal feces are collected and fed to the biogas digestive system.

Over the course of several weeks, organic materials break down to produce biogas in a process known as anaerobic digestion. Biogas is mainly composed of methane and carbon dioxide.

The remaining slurry, known as Bioslrurry, becomes a natural fertilizer.

Kassa emphasized that Water Hyacinth produces more biogas than many other materials due to its volatile content. It also increases methane concentration, reduces harmful gases, making it healthier and more environmentally friendly.

The pilot project was carried out by only five households, but served as a source of proof of concept and community learning.

At first, many villagers were skeptical, but “When I saw the first light and smelled cooked gas, it changed my mind and caused excitement,” Cassa said.

She says women will benefit from innovation in particular, as they don’t have to collect fires or cook on a smoky stove.

Government support

Getachew, an associate professor of agriculture ecology at Hawassa University in Ethiopia, says that converting invasive plants into biogas, biofertilizers, crafts or animal feed is an increasingly popular approach.

“These methods offer double benefits: they mitigate environmental impacts while creating opportunities for living,” he said.

“However, for these solutions to have a real impact beyond the pilot phase, government support, dedicated funding, and targeted policy support are needed.”

The security issues and rising construction costs in rural Ethiopia’s conflict zones make the biogas project difficult.

“Biogas tanks require expensive imported materials,” Cassa added, urging the government to provide subsidies to make it viable for more families.

“Organizing your family into a cooperative is another way of sharing financial and material burdens.”

Cassa considers the model to be scalable due to the rapid spread of water hyac bacteria in Ethiopia’s Lift Valley and other lakes.

“Stakeholders from the federal to local level have shown great interest,” she added. “They follow the project with enthusiasm and hope this will lead to expansion in other regions.

“With strong policy support, appropriate funding, and sector-wide coordination, this innovation can be expanded to benefit communities across the country.”

Provided by scidev.net