An evaluation of influencing factors and public attitudes for the adoption of biogas system in rural communities to overcome energy crisis: A case study of Pakistan

Energy is the backbone of a country's economy and development. The potential contribution of renewable energy technology to energy stability, climate change mitigation and economic growth is immense. Biogas, is a renewable energy resource and enriched with methane, produced through the breakdown of organic matters (anaerobically). The large quantity of livestock has significant contributions in Pakistan's economy, and also having a high potential for production of biogas. Therefore, this study was conducted in 6 southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, to identify the expected willingness of households for adopting any biogas system. A sum of 360 households (livestock-farmers) was selected for data collection by the procedure of equal allocation. The identification of the influencing factors on the household's willingness to adopt any biogas system was determined through probit analysis. It has been validated from the research outcomes of probit analysis that the selected household's qualification, electricity shortfall on daily basis and its impact on children's education and female work, awareness of the selected household's about the biogas utilization and its benefits as well as the availability of space have demonstrated their significance and relationship with the household's willingness to adopt biogas system. The overall model is statistically significant at 1% significance level and confirmed the impact of socioeconomic features as the prominent factors for the household's decision to adopt a biogas system. This study suggests the public awareness, which has more significant impact on identifying the household's adoption behavior. Similarly, adequate investments both at the private and public level, should be encouraged for promoting biogas technology. At the same time, the government's fiscal policy should be subsidized which will encourage the lower-income populations' participation in adopting and installing biogas plants. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study found that the willingness of households to adopt biogas systems is influenced by various factors, including the qualifications of household members, daily electricity shortages, awareness of biogas utilization, and space availability. These factors play a significant role in households' decision-making process, with socioeconomic features being one of the prominent factors.