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Sustainable deployment of solar irrigation pumps: Key determinants and strategies

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  • Shalu Agrawal
  • Abhishek Jain

Abstract

Irrigation access is deemed critical to sustainable agricultural growth, which underpins the global food and livelihood security. Solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) have emerged as a promising technology to expand irrigation access and are being deployed rapidly across several developing countries. Even as the interest in SIPs is rising, the understanding about their sustainable deployment and use remains limited. Based on a detailed literature review and semi‐structured interviews of key stakeholders, we identify and discuss 14 determinants of economically viability, socially acceptability, and environmental sustainability of SIPs, under any given context. These include crop water requirement, depth of water source, solar irradiance, scale of farming, utilization factor, cost of alternatives, system quality, after‐sales service, water use efficiency, and technology awareness, among others. Drawing from the best practices and experiences in South Asia and Sub‐Saharan Africa, we also put forward key recommendations on ways to incorporate sustainability concerns in the policies and programs for SIPs deployment. The study emphasizes that policies and programs for SIPs should focus on building awareness and trust, providing need sensitive support, priortizing areas for SIPs deployment, and ensuring long‐term sustainability. This article is categorized under: Energy and Development > Science and Materials Energy and Development > Economics and Policy Energy and Development > Systems and Infrastructure

Suggested Citation

  • Shalu Agrawal & Abhishek Jain, 2019. "Sustainable deployment of solar irrigation pumps: Key determinants and strategies," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 8(2), March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:wireae:v:8:y:2019:i:2:n:e325
    DOI: 10.1002/wene.325
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    1. Kafle, Kashi & Balasubramanya, Soumya & Stifel, David, 2022. "Solar-powered irrigation in Nepal: Adoption and consequences for fossil fuel use," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322256, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    2. Foster, Timothy & Adhikari, Roshan & Adhikari, Subash & Justice, Scott & Tiwari, Baburam & Urfels, Anton & Krupnik, Timothy J., 2021. "Improving pumpset selection to support intensification of groundwater irrigation in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    3. Urfels, Anton & Mausch, Kai & Harris, Dave & McDonald, Andrew J. & Kishore, Avinash & Balwinder-Singh, & van Halsema, Gerardo & Struik, Paul C. & Craufurd, Peter & Foster, Timothy & Singh, Vartika & K, 2023. "Farm size limits agriculture's poverty reduction potential in Eastern India even with irrigation-led intensification," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    4. Bhattarai, Dipendra & Fishman, Ram & Lamichhane, Nabina & Mukherji, Aditi, 2025. "Targeted finance and the adoption of solar irrigation by smallholder and women farmers," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).

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