REEF REHAB - RUNNER-UP
VANUATU


Reef Rehab

The tiny Pacific island of Vanuatu is run on batteries. It has no mains electricity supply and the 200,000 inhabitants must rely on batteries for all their electrical energy needs Batteries are expensive and account for a large proportion of most families� monthly incomes. They are also difficult to dispose of as they release acids and other toxic chemicals as they decompose. In Vanuatu, most householders were in the habit of solving this problem by dumping their used batteries into the sea. A 2002 survey revealed that 76 per cent of all the island�s batteries were disposed of in this way. This was severely damaging the island�s finest asset: its spectacular coral reefs. Chemicals seeping from the sunken batteries were poisoning fish and killing the corals themselves. Vanuatu�s Marine Protected Area Group decided to tackle the problem at source by encouraging villagers to use rechargeable batteries. The Nguna-Pele Rechargeable Battery Project began by purchasing a powerful 60W solar panel, a battery charger, and 900 rechargeable batteries. In the powerful tropical sunshine, this array is capable of recharging around 60 batteries per day. Charged batteries are rented to the population at a fraction of the cost of new ones. The benefits to the reef are already being seen � dead batteries are no longer found within the Marine Protected Area and battery-blighted fish populations appear to be returning.

2005 runner-up 2005 runner-up 2005 runner-up
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2010

The Only Way is Up - Philippines A Class Apart - Guatemala Pass it on - Peru Burn After Eating - India Charge of the Light Brigade - Rwanda Cyber Capital - Denmark Double Boiled - Kenya Growth Cycle - Zambia In a Nutshell - Malawi Ok Coral - Tanzania One Reef at a Time - Madagascar Saving From a Rainy Day - Mexico

2009

Safe Bottle Lamp Project - Sri Lanka Danamon Go Green - Indonesia Fungi Town - United States Afghan Hands - Afghanistan Andaman Discoveries - Thailand Barefoot Women Solar Engineers of Africa - India Biogas as an alternative source of energy - Kenya Cheetah Conservation Fund Bush Project - Namibia Comet-ME - Israel - Palestine Mootral - Uk Stoves for Survival - the Democratic Republic of Congo

2008

Plan Bee - Pakistan A Chance to Grow - Nepal Homegrown Heroes - Paraguay Change is Brewing - South Africa Cliffhanger - India Comunidade Film - Brazil Green Gold - Colombia Independence Day - India Maasai Production - Kenya Market economy - Kenya Sole Traders - Kenya Yurt Kindergartens - Kyrgyzstan

2007

Potato Goldmine - Peru Cooking Without Gas - Nepal School for Success - Haiti Half Price Hygiene - Uganda Herbal Healing - Vietnam High Sweet Fashion - Mexico Limbs From Leftovers - Nepal Out of the Forest - Brasil Peace Woods - Colombia S.O.S: Save our Seaweed - Brazil Steaming Ahead - Indonesia Top of the Crops - Afghanistan

2006

Elephant Paper - Sri-Lanka Card Aid - Rwanda Well Water - Bangladesh Blooming Business - Mauritius/Madagascar Fireproof Juice - Sweden Grass Roots - Swaziland Making a Buzz - Rodrigues/Mauritius Powering Up - Ethiopia Shark Park - Fiji Silicon Salvage - UK Sunny Side Up - Laos Wild Child - Botswana

2005

Coconets - Phillipines Fat Chance - Malta Reef Rehab - Vanuatu A Chilli Reception - Zambia Basket Case - Kenya Bugs Money - Kenya Dye-ing For Change - UK & Slovenia Lucky Birds - Spain Men Not At Work - South Africa My Big Fat Ethical Wedding - USA Rooftop Revolution - Ukraine Snakes Alive - India

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