SUMMARISED REPORT: PUBLIC STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION ON CLEAN BRICK PRODUCTION IN MALAWI

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1 SUMMARISED REPORT: PUBLIC STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION ON CLEAN BRICK PRODUCTION IN MALAWI JUNE 12, 2012 BRIDGEVIEW HOTEL LILONGWE, MALAWI

2 Contents Introduction to the Project Concept Note Summary... 2 Stakeholder Consultation Agenda... 3 Summary of Stakeholder Feedback & Evaluation... 4 Photographs from Stakeholder Consultation... 5 Introduction to the Project Concept Note Summary With high rates of urbanisation in Malawi, it is estimated that 21,000 housing units are required annually to meet urban housing needs over the next ten years 1. Burnt bricks are the main building material used in Malawi. If an average of 85,000 burnt bricks is required to construct a single urban house, almost 1.8 billion burnt bricks are required each year just to meet urban housing demands. If we include public infrastructure requirements and rural buildings using burnt bricks, the demand is much greater. In Malawi, common bricks are produced with a wooden mould and are fired in inefficient kilns, which use firewood as the major source of energy. As more wood is being consumed than is sustainably re-grown, wood demand puts increasing pressure on wood resources and result in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In a search for fuel efficient and environmentally friendly brick making solutions, Centre for Community Organisation and Development (CCODE) 2 has undertaken a pre-feasibility study, which identified improved technologies such as the Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln (VSBK) that reduce energy consumption and associated emissions by 60-80% and produce high quality bricks. The raw materials for such technologies are locally available and the technology can be transferred to Malawi with assurance of support from key institutions in the Malawi housing sector. CCODE has entered into an agreement with TARA 3 (an Indian institution with 16 years experience in VSBK) to transfer energy efficient and environmentally friendly technical brick making know-how to Malawi. Clioma Ltd, a Malawian consultancy company, through Hestian Innovation Ltd., will help facilitate access to carbon finance to make the technology more affordable and accessible. The current feasibility study aims to assess environmental, energy, economic and social aspects of traditional brick production. It also aims to explore institutional aspects and their contribution to the brick production sector. The study will produce an assessment document on 1 Malawi Urban Housing Sector Profile CCODE is a Malawian NGO with focus on low cost housing and slum up grading founded in 2003 ( mw.org) 3 TARA, Technology and Action for Rural Advancement a social enterprise working on technology based sustainable development, founded in 1986 ( 2 P a g e

3 the feasibility of introducing energy efficient and environmentally friendly brick making technologies, including VSBK, in Malawi and positive assessment factors will lead to a proposal for a long-term technology transfer programme. In the second phase of the project, an improved kiln, such as the VSBK, will be constructed and bricks will be produced to aid demonstration of impacts through baseline and follow-up studies. This will also facilitate capacity building for local producers and advertisement of technology to major stakeholders. Once the concept has been proven and demonstrated, improved brick making technologies will be scaled up and promoted throughout the country. Masons will be trained to ensure higher quality bricks and post project sustainability. Project outcomes include establishment of high quality brick production in Malawi, creation of permanent employment in the brick production sector and generation of global GHG emission reductions in Malawi to facilitate cleaner and greener development. The goal of the project is to improve energy efficiency, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in brick production, to increase access to reliable building materials and access to quality and affordable houses, sustainable livelihoods fostering green jobs, and to enable Malawi contribute and progress towards Green Economy. Stakeholder Consultation Agenda 9.15a.m. 9.35a.m a.m. Tea Break Opening Remarks and Brief Introduction to Malawi s Brick Sector Assessment of the Feasibility Study; Brief History and Background to Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln (VSBK) 11:00a.m. Potentials of VSBK technology in Malawi 11:50a.m. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Opportunities for Malawi 12:20p.m. Stakeholder Discussion of the Proposed Project 12.40p.m. Closing Remarks 12:50p.m. Lunch Wonderful Honga and Cynthia Phiri (CCODE) Kriti Nagrath (Devalt) Dr. Soumen Maity (TARA) Conor Fox (Clioma Ltd.) Kriti Nagrath (Devalt) Karen Smith (BIF) 3 P a g e

4 Summary of Stakeholder Feedback & Evaluation The Pros: Stakeholders were generally happy with the consultation, and most welcomed the VSBK technology as a means of producing standardised, high quality bricks for construction. The marketability of these bricks could encourage producers in the informal sector to comply with brick production standards set by the Malawi Bureau of Standards improving the quality of bricks available to all consumers. The project will have an overall positive environmental impact through reduced forest degradation, promotion of energy efficiency and reduction in smoke and greenhouse gas emissions. The project encourages technology transfer and gender equality the latter because women are able to do most of the jobs associated with VSBK use. The potential for using biomass briquettes to provide more than 50% of the VSBK fuel needs can stimulate the underperforming briquette production sector, and once readily available, biomass briquettes can be used even by non-vsbk brick producers. Use of biomass briquettes is particularly welcome in the post-harvest season when agricultural residues must be burnt, as they can be used for briquette production instead of wasted. Commercial use of biomass briquettes also means that biomass which would otherwise create briquettes that produce too much smoke for household use, can still be effectively utilised. The Cons: High investment costs may exclude the majority of small scale brick producers from adoption of improved brick making technologies, given high interest rates on commercial loans. Appropriate financing schemes were advocated for. In practice, it may be possible for small scale producers to pay a fee to fire their bricks using the VSBK if one is easily accessible in their area. However, this will depend on the agreement between the owner and the community and transport costs will have to be taken into account. Concerns were also raised over the final price of a high quality brick: that it should be affordable for consumers. Given the baseline scenario where bricks are produced of varying sizes and soil compositions, use of the VSBK will require investment into training on the production of good quality green bricks and calculations on shrinkage of various soils to that a standardised brick can be obtained. Questions were raised about the beneficiaries of potential carbon credits, whether any financial benefits would accrue to the producers or communities. It was accepted that this would be an issue later addressed by the VSBK owner and community. However, in theory, the revenue distribution would be based on the incentives needed to encourage sustainable use of clean technologies. 4 P a g e

5 There were concerns about the potential loss of employment to mechanisation in the production process, as well as the necessary use of coal to partially fuel the VSBK and the economic and environment costs involved in coal use. Photographs from Stakeholder Consultation Conor Fox Clioma Ltd. Dr. Soumen Maity (TARA) Example of a Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln 5 P a g e