Sustainability Assessment of Biomass Utilisation in EAS Countries 3

A Study of Social Impact Assessment

Abstract

In most East Asian Summit countries in Asia, the government policies are encouraging the biofuel development. Employment generation and better income opportunities for the rural population are major social aspects, which are being considered in biofuel production. Human Development Indicator (HDI), developed by the UNDP, was proposed as the main social indicator in four pilot studies in selected countries in East Asia Summit Countries. The objective of selecting HDI was to give a glimpse of the living standards of the people currently engaged in biofuel production. In this study, biofuel activities were evaluated from social aspect in cultivation and biofuel production stages. Several observations in pilot studies have shown highlights.