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Reforestation just starting to make some progress in restoring a badly-scarred and eroded hillside, near Yan'an, Shaanxi.

The Shaanxi Mothers' Environmental Protection Volunteer Association (Shaanxi Mothers) is led by its founder Mrs Wang Mingying. It has installed 1,294 biogas plants in rural farming households in the Shaanxi Province of China since 1999. The plants produce biogas from pig and human waste.

The extensive use of wood and coal that has helped to fuel China's rapid economic growth has led to serious environmental damage. In Shaanxi Province (west China), soil erosion on the hillsides is widespread and springtime flow in the rivers has diminished to a fraction of the 'normal' flow. Erosion leads to dust storms and poor outdoor air quality. The use of coal and wood on open fires produces significant pollution. Faced with these problems, the Chinese Government has restricted tree-felling and ordered the re-forestation of the terraced hillsides. Farmers are paid to plant trees and ensure that they survive, and are encouraged to keep pigs. Subsidies are provided to encourage the use of biogas.

Shaanxi Mothers promotes the use of biogas plants connected to the pigsties. These plants provide clean fuel for cooking and lighting, improve sanitation and hygiene and help prevent further environmental degradation. The solid residue from the plants is a valuable fertiliser. Users pay about one third of the cost of the plant which can be covered by the savings they make on fuel and fertiliser within one to two years. Subsidies from the government and Shaanxi Mothers provide the remainder of the cost.

The Ashden Award to the Shaanxi Mothers' Environmental Protection Volunteer Association recognises the tremendous commitment of a small volunteer organisation in bringing the health and environmental benefits of biogas to rural communities in China.