Asia Regional Solar Cooking

and

Food Processing Workshop

 

April 16-17, 2007

 

Background

 

Time has shown a global challenge to improve our life environment-friendly matched with the nature by changing values, adopting best practices on renewable energies and sharing or transferring renewable energy technologies to build a more sustainable world. More than one billion people suffer due to shortages of cooking fuels and half of the population live in abundant sunny areas where they can use solar energy for cooking, food processing and for many other alternative uses. Solar cooking has grown rapidly during the last decades. Now, there are more and more projects and many organizations are working hard towards promoting solar cooking all over the world, particularly in developing countries and it is time again to come together to move forward. Asia Region has led the world in developing and promoting solar cookers earlier and more widely than in any other regions and now proposes to lead the way in networking to strengthen our efforts. 

 

Formation of Solar Cooking Regional Network

 

The International Conference on Solar Cooking and Food Processing in Granada, Spain (July 12 to 16, 2006) created four regional networks and seven collective action groups  in Asia, Ibero/Latin America, Africa, and Europe/non-Latin Americas. One of the important outcomes of the meeting in Granada was the selection of Nepal to host a first Asian Regional Workshop on Solar Cooking and Food Processing in April 2007. The Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) of the Nepal Government, Centre for Rural Technology (CRT/N) and Foundation for Sustainable Technologies (FoST), and Solar Cookers International Association are proud to co-sponsor and co-host this historical event on Solar Cooking and Food Processing in Kathmandu, Nepal. CRT/N will serve as its Secretariat. 

The two-day workshop will be held on April 16 and 17, 2007 and a Steering Committee and Organizing Committee have been formed to facilitate the preparatory work and other arrangements for the Workshop with the following members: 

Steering Committee: 

 

1. Dr. Govind Raj Pokharel, Alternative Energy promotion Center -      Chair person

2. Prof. Jagan Nath Shrestha, Center for Energy Studies -                                 Member

3. Mr. Bikash Sharma, International Center for Integrated Mountain

Development -                                                                                      Member

4. Mr. Sanu Kaji Shrestha, Foundation for Sustainable Technologies -   Member 

5. Mr. Ganesh Ram Shrestha, Center for Rural Technology/Nepal -      Member Secretary

Organizing Committee: 

 

1. Mr. Mangal D. Maharjan, Alternative Energy Promotion Center/

Renewable Energy Project -                                                                             Chair person

2. Mr. Rajeev Munankarmi, Alternative Energy Promotion Center  -      Member

3. Mr. Ram Prasad Dhital, Alternative Energy Promotion Center  -        Member

4. Mr. Surya Kumar Sapkota, Alternative Energy Promotion Center  -              Member

5. Dr. Ramesh K. Maskey, Kathmandu University -                              Member

6. Dr. Bim Shrestha, Kathmandu University  -                                                   Member

7. Mr. Nanda Ram Baidya, Center for Rural Technology/Nepal -                      Member

8. Mr. Lumin K. Shrestha, Center for Rural Technology/Nepal  -                      Member

9. Ms. Moon Shrestha, Center for Rural Technology/Nepal  -                           Member

10. Mr. Hari Gopal Gorkhali, Center for Rural Technology/Nepal  -      Member

11. Ms. Sama Shrestha, CARE/N -                                                                  Member

12. Ms. Sanam Shrestha, Foundation for Sustainable Technologies  -    Member

13. Mr. V.B. Amatya, Energy Sector Assistants Program/Danida -        Member

14. Ms. Karuna Bajracharya, Energy Sector Assistants Program/Danida -         Member

15. Ms. Mala Pradhan, Kathmandu Lady Jaycee -                                            Member

16. Mr. Ramesh Man Singh, National Academy for Science and

Technology -                                                                                                    Member

17. Mr. Ram Kaji Poudel, Bajra Foundation -                                       Member

18. Mr. Surendra Lal Shrestha, Biogas Support Program -                                Member

19. Dr. Mohan Gyawali, Executive Director, Research Center for

Applied Science and Technology –                                                                   Member

20. Mr. Narayan Shrestha, Proprietor, Sun Works Pvt.Ltd. –               Member

21. Mr. Babu Raja Shrestha, Managing Director, Center for

Renewable Energy –                                                                                         Member

22. Ms. Rajani Shrestha, Food Research Laboratory -                          Member

23. Mr. Tri Ratna Bajracharya, Center for Energy Studies -       Member - Secretary 

 

Objectives of the Workshop:

 

1.      To promote solar cooking and food processing in the Asian Region

2.      To share best practices on solar cooking and food processing from the international, regional and national community of solar cookers promoters and practices   

3.      To demonstrate various technologies developed in the region and facilitate its promotion and transfer

4.      To promote solar cooking and food processing for enterprise development, health improvement, energy and environment conservation, and

5.      Formation of Asia Regional Network for Solar Coking and Food Processing

6.      Explore future information-exchange and other collaborations to address common barriers. 

 

Main Issues / Theme of the Workshop:

1.      Technology development and transfer (mainly relating to solar cooking and food processing at the household level and commercial applications)

2.      Addressing Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

3.      Food processing and enterprise development through solar cooking/heating

4.      Gender mainstreaming 

5.      Policies and dissemination strategies

6.      Health improvement and environment conservation

7.      Meeting needs of the refugees and disaster management  

8.      Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) as potential source for funding solar cooking projects

Registration: 

 

US$ 30 for international participants – payable on arrival after confirmation.

US$ 20 for regional participants

NRs.2000 for institutions

NRs.1000 for individual

Deadline for submission of Registration Form:   20th March, 2007

 

Networking Opportunity:

 

Asia Regional Solar Cooking and Food Processing Workshop provides an ideal forum for the national, regional and international participants/experts to share on the  various solar cooking policies and promotional efforts including technologies developed in this field and its transfer. Similarly, possibility of collaborative partnership and business ventures within the Asia Region and international forum will also be facilitated through joint initiatives for the transfer of already proven technologies in the respective countries. 

 

Potential Participants:

 

Solar cooking leaders from the International and Asian Region, and other potential NGOs, private industries engaged in solar cooking and food processing are invited to participate at the workshop to share their ideas, innovation and experiences. The workshop will also provide a forum for the promotion of various solar cookers and related products among the participants, experts and business enterprises.  

 

Papers:

 

Papers from the international experts and Asian Region will be presented on the first day of the workshop. All the participants will be requested to share their ideas, innovations and experiences and on its future scope for the promotion of solar cooking and food processing. The deadline for submitting papers is 7th March, 2007. List of selected papers with abstracts and brief bio-data of the authors will be published and shared with the participants. Similarly, a list of exhibitors and poster presenters will be published once they are confirmed.  

 

Exhibits:

 

Participants are requested to exhibit their products and present posters on second day of the workshop. The Workshop Secretariat will arrange enough space for the exhibits and posters. The required space for the products and posters should be notified to the Workshop Secretariat by 20th March 2007 

Application Form: 

 

Name:

Organization/Individual:

Address

Fax:

Telephone:

Email:

Mobile: 

Interests:

(  ) Paper presentation

(  ) Poster presentation

(  ) Exhibition of the products

Space required: For exhibition (              ) sq.ft. For poster  (            )  sq.ft. 

Workshop venue: Venue will be notified later.

Contact Person:

Address:

Tel:

Fax: 

Send registration and papers to the Workshop Secretariat. Paper presenters will be confirmed by 31st March, 2007.

[Guides for papers could be quite simple – send as attachment by email, single space, no longer than 4  pages. Also request bio of 150 words.]

Workshop Secretariat:

Centre for Rural Technology, Nepal (CRT/N)

P.O.Box 3628, Tripureshwor, Kathmandu

Fax: +977 1 4257922, Tel: 4260165, 4256819

E-mail: asiarwscfp@crtnepal.org

Website: http://www.crtnepal.org/new/