The Asian Development Bank says it will help the Greater Mekong subregion increase the use of organic waste, or biomass, in agriculture.

The bank said Monday the program will help the region to meet its growing need for clean energy and food security of poor and rural households.

In a press release, the ADB said it has approved a regional technical assistance project funded by a $4 million grant from the Nordic Development Fund, along with financing of $600,000 from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

The project will fund pilot investment projects to boost biomass technologies such as household biogas systems, biochar kilns and improved cooking stoves. Biomass waste includes products such as rice husks and animal manure.

The project is scheduled to begin this month and end by December of 2014.

The Greater Mekong subregion is made up of Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam and parts of China . The region is bound together by the Mekong River.