event 03 Feb 2021 time 10:30 CET

Webinar // SoLAR Webinar Series: Solar irrigation in Bangladesh: Current situation and future prospects

In Webinar 3, jointly organised by the Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCOL), SDC and IWMI, experts will look at the future of SIPs in Bangladesh, including the various institutional models being used for promotion of SIPs in the country.

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Wednesday, 3 February 15:00-17:00 IST / 10:30-12:30 CET

Background

The IWMI-led Solar Irrigation for Agricultural Resilience (SoLAR) project funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is organizing a series of six webinars between 1-5 February 2021. SoLAR project aims to generate knowledge to sustainably manage water-energy and climate interlinkages through the promotion of solar irrigation pumps (SIPs). The goal of the project is to contribute to climate-resilient, gender-equitable, and socially inclusive agrarian livelihoods in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan by supporting government efforts to promote solar irrigation.

Achieving progress in poverty reduction with minimal carbon emission is at the core of the climate and sustainability challenge. This need is particularly acute in South Asia, where further expansion of irrigation holds the promise of pulling smallholders out of poverty, but will also result in large increases in carbon emissions due to overwhelming dependence on fossil fuel-based groundwater pumping. SIPs offer a “climate resilient” solution, yet adoption is slow. Little is also known about the impact of SIPs on groundwater use. In this six-part SDC-IWMI webinar series, we will explore some of these larger questions around energy transition and SIPs in four South Asian countries.

The webinars will be 1.5 hour to 2-hour online events, and will involve speakers from all four countries, as well as speakers from outside the region and will be open to the general public.

Find out more about the SoLAR project. Follow IWMI on Twitter for the latest updates.

Webinar 3: Solar irrigation in Bangladesh: Current situation and future prospects

In Webinar 3, we will look at the future of SIPs in Bangladesh, including the various institutional models being used for promotion of SIPs in the country

Bangladesh has committed to reduce its carbon emissions unconditionally by 5 percent by 2030 in its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) pledges under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Solar irrigation provides a great opportunity to replace diesel pumps in off-grid areas with a cleaner energy alternative. More than 1800 solar irrigation pumps have been set up, with a total installed capacity of 46.2 MW. This is expected to expand substantially in the coming years. The Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCOL) is a pioneer in developing the SIPs business model in Bangladesh. It has set a target of installing 10,000 SIPs by 2027. In the third episode of the SoLAR Webinar series, experts from Bangladesh will discuss the current status and future challenges of solar irrigation in Bangladesh. 

This webinar will explore some of the following questions:

  • Is Bangladesh on track to meet its targets?
  • What are some of the operational models for SIP promotion in the country?
  • What are the challenges and emerging opportunities?

Moderator: Dr. Aditi Mukherji, IWMI, India

Speakers and Topics:

  1. Roadmap of solar irrigation in Bangladesh: Mr. Anthony Jude , Advisor, Asian Development Bank
  2. Solar Irrigation: Future prospects: Mr. Mohammad Golam Sarware Kainat, Director, Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority, Bangladesh
  3. Early results from IWMI-IDCOL survey: Marie-Charlotte Buisson, IWMI
  4. Challenges and opportunities of grid connected solar irrigation pumps in India: Mr. J.K. Jethani, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India

Panelists:

  1. Mr. Mohammad Sarwar Hossain, Project Director (SIP) & Deputy Chief Engineer, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation
  2. Ms. Salima Jahan, Member SREDA (Joint Secretary)
  3. Md. Shamshul Huda, Barind Multipurpose Development Authority
  4. Mr. Anwar Hossain, WAVE Foundation, Bangladesh

Concluding remarks and vote of thanks

  1. Mr. Monirul Islam, Deputy CEO, IDCOL

Registration

Register here on Zoom for Webinar 3

More information on the SoLAR webinar series here

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