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Solar-based groundwater pumping for irrigation: Sustainability, policies, and limitations

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  • Closas, Alvar
  • Rap, Edwin

Abstract

The increasing demand for solar-powered irrigation systems in agriculture has spurred a race for projects as it potentially offers a cost-effective and sustainable energy solution to off-grid farmers while helping food production and sustaining livelihoods. As a result, countries such as Morocco and Yemen have been promoting this technology for farmers and national plans with variable finance and subsidy schemes like in India have been put forward. By focusing on the application of solar photovoltaic (PV) pumping systems in groundwater-fed agriculture, this paper highlights the need to further study the impacts, opportunities and limitations of this technology within the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus. It shows how most policies and projects promoting solar-based groundwater pumping for irrigation through subsidies and other incentives overlook the real financial and economic costs of this solution as well as the availability of water resources and the potential negative impacts on the environment caused by groundwater over-abstraction. There is a need to monitor groundwater abstraction, targeting subsidies and improving the knowledge and monitoring of resource use. Failing to address these issues could lead to further groundwater depletion, which could threaten the sustainability of this technology and dependent livelihoods in the future.

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  • Closas, Alvar & Rap, Edwin, 2017. "Solar-based groundwater pumping for irrigation: Sustainability, policies, and limitations," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 33-37.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:104:y:2017:i:c:p:33-37
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2017.01.035
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    5. Pourmohamad, Yavar & Alizadeh, Amin & Mousavi Baygi, Mohammad & Gebremichael, Mekonnen & Ziaei, Ali Naghi & Bannayan, Mohammad, 2019. "Optimizing cropping area by proposing a combined water-energy productivity function for Neyshabur Basin, Iran," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 217(C), pages 131-140.
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    7. Lefore, Nicole & Closas, Alvar & Schmitter, Petra, 2021. "Solar for all: A framework to deliver inclusive and environmentally sustainable solar irrigation for smallholder agriculture," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    8. Daniella Rodríguez-Urrego & Leonardo Rodríguez-Urrego & Benjamín González-Díaz & Ricardo Guerrero-Lemus, 2022. "Sustainability Analysis and Scenarios in Groundwater Pumping Systems: A Case Study for Tenerife Island to 2030," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-19, August.
    9. Terang, Bharat & Baruah, Debendra Chandra, 2023. "Techno-economic and environmental assessment of solar photovoltaic, diesel, and electric water pumps for irrigation in Assam, India," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    10. Parvaresh Rizi, Atefeh & Ashrafzadeh, Afshin & Ramezani, Azita, 2019. "A financial comparative study of solar and regular irrigation pumps: Case studies in eastern and southern Iran," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 1096-1103.
    11. Miguel Ángel Pardo & Héctor Fernández & Antonio Jodar-Abellan, 2020. "Converting a Water Pressurized Network in a Small Town into a Solar Power Water System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-26, August.
    12. Kiratu, Nixon Murathi & Aarnoudse, Eefje & Petrick, Martin, 2024. "Irrigation-nutrition linkages under farmer-led and public irrigation schemes in Kenya," IAAE 2024 Conference, August 2-7, 2024, New Delhi, India 344347, International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE).
    13. Patil, Sumeet & Kenia, Nandish & Gunatilake, Herath, 2021. "Divide and Prosper? Impacts of power-distribution feeder separation on household energy-use, irrigation, and crop production," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    14. Mohammed Wazed, Saeed & Hughes, Ben Richard & O’Connor, Dominic & Kaiser Calautit, John, 2018. "A review of sustainable solar irrigation systems for Sub-Saharan Africa," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P1), pages 1206-1225.
    15. Ahmad Hamidov & Katharina Helming, 2020. "Sustainability Considerations in Water–Energy–Food Nexus Research in Irrigated Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-20, August.
    16. Elshurafa, Amro M. & Alatawi, Hatem & Hasanov, Fakhri J. & Algahtani, Goblan J. & Felder, Frank A., 2022. "Cost, emission, and macroeconomic implications of diesel displacement in the Saudi agricultural sector: Options and policy insights," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    17. Rubio-Aliaga, Alvaro & García-Cascales, M. Socorro & Sánchez-Lozano, Juan Miguel & Molina-Garcia, Angel, 2021. "MCDM-based multidimensional approach for selection of optimal groundwater pumping systems: Design and case example," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 213-224.
    18. Otoo, Miriam & Lefore, Nicole & Schmitter, Petra & Barron, Jennie & Gebregziabher, Gebrehaweria, 2018. "Business model scenarios and suitability: smallholder solar pump-based irrigation in Ethiopia. Agricultural Water Management – Making a Business Case for Smallholders," IWMI Reports 273354, International Water Management Institute.
    19. Espinosa-Tasón, Jaime & Berbel, Julio & Gutiérrez-Martín, Carlos, 2020. "Energized water: Evolution of water-energy nexus in the Spanish irrigated agriculture, 1950–2017," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 233(C).

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