Upgraded water mills benefit millers and villagers: The Centre for Rural Technology, Nepal, takes the second prize for the Enterprise Award

摘要

The difficult terrain of the Himalayan mountains in Nepal means a hard life for the people living in the region. In order to process the grain they grow, women and children have to carry heavy loads long distances to the nearest water mill and wait hours whilst the grain is slowly ground into flour. There are around 25,000 of these water mills in Nepal but they are extremely inefficient, producing just enough energy (less than 0.5kW) for the simple task of grinding the grain. As a result the mills are unable to satisfy local demand resulting in a rise in the number of diesel powered mills.