Solar Irrigation for Agricultural Resilience (SoLAR)

The Solar Irrigation for Agricultural Resilience in South Asia (SoLAR) project aims to sustainably manage the invidious water-energy and climate interlinkages in South Asia (Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan) through promotion of solar irrigation pumps. The main goal of the project is to contribute to climate-resilient, gender and socially inclusive agrarian livelihoods, by supporting government efforts to promote solar irrigation.

In the process, the project will also pave the way for sustainable and equitable groundwater governance by tackling some of the policy distortions such as perverse electricity subsidies which has created the current negative interlinkages between the water and energy sectors in South Asia. This project will be implemented in four South Asian countries (Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan), in partnership with government agencies who have the mandate to implement policies and programs on solar irrigation pumps in their respective countries.