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Realizing the Potential and Managing the Risks of Solar Irrigation in the Near East and North Africa - TCP/RAB/3604

Year of publication 2020

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 10

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Project

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) In recent years, solar irrigation has become increasingly interesting for countries as a reliable, clean-energy solution for agricultural water management, especially in areas with high-incident solar radiation. As investment costs for solar-powered irrigation systems (SPIS) are decreasing, SPIS technologies are becoming a viable option for many farmers. In rural areas, solar irrigation can be a means to ensuring access to energy for agriculture, and possibly for other users in rural areas that lack reliable access to electricity or where diesel fuel is expensive. Some countries are promoting SPIS in the framework of national action plans against climate change, as a way of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in agriculture. The conditions for SPIS vary from country to country, in terms of biophysical and climatic suitability, techno-economic feasibility, institutional arrangements, regulations and policy support, financing and economic viability of systems. There is now an opportunity to not simply introduce a clean-energy, climate-smart and relatively affordable technology, but to think strategically about how this technology can be used to regulate groundwater use, provide energy access to rural areas, and promote innovative investment models and organizational structures. Against this background, the project sought to strengthen institutional capacities in two target countries, Egypt and Tunisia, by learning from existing experiences to understand how to promote and regulate the use of SPIS, and fostering policy dialogue across sectors to ensure a coordinated approach to SPIS, with the overall aim of improving natural resources management and encouraging low-emission and climate-smart agriculture; as well as providing training for technical experts to act as multipliers of knowledge.

Language English

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