TITLE:
Evaluation of Rice Husk Use Scenarios Incorporating Stakeholders’ Preferences Revealed through the Analytic Hierarchy Process in An Giang Province, Vietnam
AUTHORS:
Pham Thi Mai Thao, Kiyo H. Kurisu, Keisuke Hanaki
KEYWORDS:
Rice Husk, Stakeholder, AHP, Decision-Making
JOURNAL NAME:
Low Carbon Economy,
Vol.5 No.3,
August
11,
2014
ABSTRACT: To process biomass energy
successfully, it is necessary to incorporate a number of criteria that can be
assessed either quantitatively or qualitatively for various biomass scenarios.
It is also important to take into
account the local people’s preferences and interests in the decision-making
process. In this study, preferences of various stakeholders on rice husk use,
such as urban households, rural households, rice mill owners, brick kiln
owners, government officials, and scientists, were investigated using the
Analytic Hierarchy Process. The results were incorporated with objective
evaluation that was derived from Life Cycle Assessment. A holistic evaluation
of rice-husk use scenarios was conducted. The results showed that rural
households, rice mill owners, and brick kiln owners still want to use rice husk
in conventional ways, while urban households, government officials, and scientists
prefer to use rice husk with new technologies. The results reveal the aspects
that each stakeholder thinks important and the conflicts between stakeholders.
These can help government officials grasp the preferences of the local people
which is important information for decision-making.