Description
Most parts of the terai region of Nepal lack irrigation facilities and depend upon the monsoon and winter rains for crop production. Farmers who are able to pay are using motors operated by petrol or diesel to pump ground water for irrigation because of unreliable supply of electricity. This not only increases the investment for agriculture, but also is contributing to increase greenhouse gases in atmosphere. Give the situation, use of solar-based irrigation system can be a good solution to overcome water scarcity without increasing carbon foot print. Though the initial investment cost for solar-based irrigation system is decreasing over time, the technology is still expensive for household level investment. Looking at the brighter side, the operation cost of the technology is comparatively cheaper since it operates with no cost once it’s installed. Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) has identified solar irrigation system as one of the best climate change adaptation technologies for the terai region (2017 CCAFS).
