- The programme is slated to be implemented over the next two years and will be financially supported with USD 2 million, which ISA and UNDP have jointly secured.
- This pilot programme will provide agricultural workers with enhanced energy access and a sustainable irrigation solution through new and innovative solar water pumping systems deployment models.
International Solar Alliance (ISA) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced the launch of Scaling Solar Applications for Agriculture Use (SSAAU), ISA’s Programme First, in ten African ISA Member Countries: Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Niger, Republic of Sudan, Senegal, South Sudan, Togo, Tuvalu, and Uganda. The programme is slated to be implemented over the next two years and will be financially supported with USD 2 million, which ISA and UNDP have jointly secured. This pilot programme will provide agricultural workers with enhanced energy access and a sustainable irrigation solution through new and innovative solar water pumping systems deployment models. This will help agriculture-based communities curb their carbon emissions and enjoy cost efficiencies.
Dr Ajay Mathur, Director General, ISA, remarked, “Solar energy is Africa’s fastest-growing renewable energy source. This initiative can become the epitome of South-South cooperation and demand aggregation by employing ISA’s convening power. I applaud this achievement which showcases both popularity and impact of ISA’s programmes and, in this case, the vision of its very first programme of implementing decentralised solar applications in rural settings in the form of solar water pumping systems (SWPs) and reinforcing it with technical assistance.”
Ms Shoko Noda, Resident Representative, UNDP India, highlighted that “Agri-food systems account for 31 per cent of the total greenhouse gas emissions globally. Expanding the application of solar technologies in agriculture, especially in energy-intensive areas like irrigation, will help reduce emissions and enhance farmer incomes.” The broad avenues of collaboration will include exploring localised and innovative deployment models, pilot demonstration, skilling programmes and training for technical staff to build local capacity, developing best practices documents and detailing learnings from demonstration projects.