IWMI and SDC launch SoLAR Phase II to scale climate-resilient solar irrigation across South Asia and East Africa

Key facts

• The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) launched SoLAR Phase II to expand climate-resilient solar irrigation across India, Bangladesh, Kenya and Ethiopia.
• Studies under Gujarat’s Suryashakti Kisan Yojana found that grid-connected solar irrigation pumps did not increase groundwater extraction while delivering about 12.3 tCO2 offset per farmer per year.
• IWMI trained more than 2,000 farmers, enabling a 23 per cent rise in net energy evacuation and an average additional income of Rs 14,000 per farmer.
• Off-grid solar irrigation pilots reduced diesel dependence and strengthened livelihoods.
• SolaReady, a spatial decision-support platform, was launched to map solar irrigation opportunities aligned with climate adaptation, mitigation and groundwater sustainability.