Kyrgyzstan: Construction of eco-friendly rice houses increases

In Kyrgyzstan, home construction sites are commonplace, except for building materials such as rice cement blocks , an ecological and economical component that is gaining popularity in the Central Asian country.

“I chose rice blocks after considering other options: they are practical for heating, economy and construction ,” said Akmatbek Uraymov, a resident of Kyzyl-Kia in the south of the country.

Before deciding, Akmatbek Uraymov “first checked with his own eyes” this material called “rice husk”, obtained by separating the grain from the husk .

“I have no doubts about the quality. People didn’t know about it, but when they see the construction site, they become interested and call me,” he told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Monday.

This construction technique, as an alternative to cement , is currently attracting the interest of scientists from all continents.

In several recent academic studies, in China, India, Spain and the African and South American continents, experts highlight the energetic, economic, physical and environmental properties of rice in facing climate challenges.

The use of rice husks, for example, reduces the use of cement, which consumes a lot of water and is responsible for approximately 8% of global CO2 emissions, according to 2023 data from the World Economic Forum.

Living in a village in a mountainous and arid region, Ykhval Borieva also opted for rice, praising its insulating properties, demonstrated by scientists.

Thanks to rice’s low thermal conductivity, your home stays “ warm in winter and cool in spring .”

“We save coal. The walls retain heat and freshness well,” he assured.

These houses were created thanks to the ingenuity of Nursultan Taabaldyev, one of the pioneers of this process in Central Asia.

“This idea came to me when I was a child, while doing carpentry with my father,” explained Nursultan, who didn’t wait to read scientific studies before getting started.

At 27 years old, he has already built “300 houses” in five years, first with sawdust and then with rice.

The bricks are “made up of 60% rice husk , with the rest being clay, cement and a chemical-free glue,” he told AFP.

In their artisanal workshop, where rice dust accumulates, workers, protecting their faces, press the bricks, hurry to dry them and help customers carry them.

When dry, they will be as strong as cement, thanks to silica, a mineral oxide. And in terms of fire safety, a regional official at the Ministry of Emergency Situations told AFP that he saw “no specific danger in these houses ”.

For Nursultan, the raw material is always at hand, as the Batken region, where he lives, produces a third of Kyrgyzstan's rice.

“Rice residues are thrown into the fields, burn slowly, harm the environment and are not used as fertilizer. That’s why we decided to recycle them,” explained the businessman.

This abundance of rice makes these bricks cheaper than cement bricks, a crucial argument in southern Kyrgyzstan, where the average monthly wage is around 200 euros.

Mainly because cement in Kyrgyzstan is the most expensive in Central Asia and could be added to the list of socially sensitive products, like bread or olive oil, to control prices.

Now, Nursultan dreams of automating production to expand internationally and carry out other projects.

“I want to go to Kazakhstan to make bricks from crushed reeds (a type of plant) and straw,” he said.