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Nepal: Bio-Briquettes Take the Place of Firewood

May 13, 2013

Firewood is still a primary energy source in Nepal - especially in rural areas, where it’s used for cooking and heating. But the forests are disappearing and the land where they stood is eroding away. An orphanage on the outskirts of the capital is trying something new.

https://p.dw.com/p/18Wot

About ten kilometers south of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu is the Jharuwarashi orphanage. The children trample dead leaves into a fine dust, shred their own school papers, mix it all together with water and press it into molds to make their own bio-briquettes - and extra cash. The orphanage is financed from private donations, and conventional firewood is expensive.