Groundwater Governance and Adoption of Solar-Powered Irrigation Pumps : Experiences from the Eastern Gangetic Plains
Solar-powered irrigation pumps (SPIPs) have been promoted in the Eastern Gangetic Plains (EGP) in recent decades, but rates of adoption are low. This case study assesses the evidence from several solar pump business models being adopted in parts of...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Brief |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2020
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/886461579804870209/Groundwater-Governance-and-Adoption-of-Solar-Powered-Irrigation-Pumps-Experiences-from-the-Eastern-Gangetic-Plains http://hdl.handle.net/10986/33245 |
| Summary: | Solar-powered irrigation pumps (SPIPs)
have been promoted in the Eastern Gangetic Plains (EGP) in
recent decades, but rates of adoption are low. This case
study assesses the evidence from several solar pump business
models being adopted in parts of the EGP, particularly
eastern Nepal and northern India, and explores how different
models perform in various contexts. It documents lessons for
increasing farmers’ resilience to droughts through better
groundwater use by promotion of SPIPs. Groundwater access
for agriculture in the past was dependent on diesel and
electric pumps, respectively constrained by costs and
reliability of energy. Both government and nongovernment
agencies have promoted SPIPs in the Ganges basin for
irrigation and drinking purposes. SPIPs receive different
levels of subsidies across countries and states in the
region to facilitate adoption and ensure continuous and
timely irrigation, which particularly benefits small and
marginal farmers. Because the EGP faces variability in water
availability, the SPIPs could help in building drought
resilience. However, because low operating costs for SPIPs
does little to incentivize farmers to use water efficiently,
one critical question is how to balance equitable access to
SPIPs while ensuring groundwater overdraft is not
perpetuated. Farmers’ awareness of efficient water
management options is crucial to avoid overextraction of groundwater. |
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