The organisation Little Earth (former For the Earth) has implemented SPARE in Tajikistan since 2001. Little Earth has during the past years also developed practical projects and expertise within energy efficiency and renewable energy. Focus has been on insulation of school buildings, energy efficient greenhouses and comprehensive planning processes for sustainable energy in villages. As partner in FK Norway project Little Earth is also hosting a Nepalese expert who is training locals on how to build efficient stoves.
Description
SPARE is an international school project on resource and energy use. The program helps children to learn about the problems of present energy usage and rational use of natural resources and it gives numerous practical suggestions, for saving, in schools and at home. Initiator and international coordinator of SPARE is Norwegian society for conservation of nature. SPARE usually starts in spring, and includes pupils of middle grades. In the past few years more than 13 countries of the world take part in SPARE. Over 50 000 of children take part in this project every year.
Why is SPARE important in Tajikistan
Today hydro plants produce 98% of energy in the country. Deposits of the fuel are not significant. Oil and gas deposits that are found are too small for the industry. Entire series of layers, as the results showed are ineffective for industrial, that is - energy producing sector.
It is important to notice that industry, agriculture and municipality sector that we inherited from the soviet period are highly energy consuming. Methods for introducing new ways for energy saving are nonexistent. All these are causing high energy leakage during transport and usage. After many places have stayed without gas and distance heating, people started to use electricity for heating and preparing food. As the result, electric energy consumption from 1992 to 1998 increased for 5%.
Over the last years, the industrial and every day demands for energy continues to increase. In rural regions, energy demand increased for 1,2 – 1,5 times. So far, many buildings and homes do not have energy consumption meters, and people have been paying average values, which was often way lower than the real energy price. Practically, in Dushanbe and other cities many houses and buildings have been built without taking into account energy saving standards and possibilities.
An yet, only small part of the population knows and is practically using the simplest methods of energy saving at home and at work. Some researches show, following the most basic advices for energy saving, that the energy demand would be possible to cut down almost twice.
The country is also investigating energy deficit particularly in winter period. This is in a connection to the drop of the amounts of water, which is used by hydro plants. For this very reason, during the winter season when energy saving increases many accidents happen in the electro distribution system, as well as the frequent blackouts. The voltage in the system also drops frequently.
SPARE is a useful tool for increasing public awareness within energy issues and environmental problems, as well as to benefit from changes in the way people relate to the energy consumption and energy saving. The project is accessible to everyone and it helps students not only to learn more, but also to use the knowledge for taking practical measures in energy saving and environment protection.
At the Fifth ministerial conference on environmental protection, which was held at the end of the May in Kiev, Ukraine, we held a presentation of SPARE as a side event. Representatives of all organizations that are taking part in SPARE in CIS countries have taken part in this presentation. SPARE exhibition attracted many NGOs as well as official delegates from different countries.
Participants and partners
With the help of teachers interested, lessons within the project in energy and environment issues started at 5-6 grades in three schools in Moscow. Over 140 children at the age from 11 to 13 took part. Trainers and teachers have used interactive method at their classes for organizing activities. This enabled them to have more interesting and more effective approach.
School administration showed a great interest in these classes hoping to introduce these into the school program. After SPARE ended for season 2001, the project was evaluated showing good results. This was the main reason to continue with the activities.
SPARE 2002 started in October on a broader scale. In this season we included 10 classes from 8 schools in Dushanbe. And in fact, in 2002 SPARE had 14 classes participating from 8 schools. That means 350 participants at the age 13 to 16.
Publications
Within SPARE 2002 a booklet with practical suggestions for energy saving was made. This was a small energy saving material that children will have after the project ends. All pupils participating in the project received the booklet. A brochure on energy usage in Tajikistan was published, which helps pupils and teachers to explain about energy demands in the country in a simple way, about tendencies of energy policy development and renewable energy use. The brochure also helps pupils to tell about the most accessible methods of energy saving.
Also, over the several years, different publications have been published, regarding energy efficiency and related topics.
In 2006 two brochures on climate change have been published. ‘Climate change’ was published within SPARE and ‘Climate change-practical solutions’ within project of the Care International organization, with the support of Canadian international development agency (CIDA).
Plans
In 2003 we included 50 schools into SPARE. Presentations of SPARE for environmental organizations was held in Dushanbe. We are discussing the proposal of including other towns in the country into the project, and expanding the project on entire country.
