Image: Guliza Urustambek kyzy/AFP
The eco-friendly alternative to conventional construction materials is booming in the Central Asian country, which is vulnerable to global warming and grapples with water shortages.
Before selecting the unorthodox material, Uraimov had researched other options, but concluded that the relatively cheap blocks made from rice husks were his best option.
"In terms of insulation, cost, as well as for builders, it turned out to be convenient," said Uraimov, who lives in the village of Kyzyl-Kiya in southern Kyrgyzstan.
Nursultan Taabaldyev is one of the pioneers of the technology in Central Asia hailed as an environmentally friendly alternative to water-intensive concrete.
They are "made of 60 percent rice husks. The rest is clay, cement and a chemical-free glue," Taabaldyev told. When dry, they are as strong as cement thanks to silica naturally present inside the husks.
The 27-year-old has already built "300 houses" in five years – first with sawdust, then with rice.
Several initial studies from various countries have highlighted the potential economic and environmental benefits of using rice blocks in construction.
Crucially, they require less cement, which is responsible for approximately eight percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to 2023 figures from the World Economic Forum.
Source: France 24
Image: Guliza Urustambek kyzy/AFP