Bangladesh

A UNDP-supported pilot project is helping Bangladesh to modernize the brick-making industry and substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The pilot brick kiln at Dhamrai, Dhaka, is a model of energy efficiency, cutting energy consumption by up to 60 percent. UNDP's role has been to facilitate access to the technological and skills training required to develop this carbon-friendly model.

On a visit to the site, UNDP Country Director Mr. Stefan Priesner emphasised the importance of energy efficiency and green technology in Bangladesh. "Climate change is a key area of support of UNDP, and Bangladesh is one of the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change," Mr. Priesner said. "Now the priority is adaptation. But a country that gives priority to adaptation can make that a lot more credible if it also focuses on mitigation. This we can do through the reduction of emissions."

Experts suggest that the project - the first climate change mitigation project in Bangladesh led by the private sector - will be cost-effective and will help to create a stable - rather than seasonal - workforce throughout the year. Under the project, 31 energy efficient brick kilns will be set up in different parts of the country.

The adaptation of the environment-friendly Hybrid Hoffman Kiln (HHK) technology is being recommended as the lead technology to replace the age-old "Fixed Chimney Kiln" in brick manufacturing units. The kiln technology being used in Bangladesh is mostly based on Bull’s Trench Kiln Technology and is over 150 years old.

Almost five per cent of brick kilns in Bangladesh will be made energy efficient through the adoption of this technology by the end of this phase of the project.