Solar powered water lifting for irrigation in the Nile Delta
FAO's project supports Egypt by bringing solar energy, a renewable and sustainable solution, for lifting water from below-ground conduits to irrigate crop fields.
In the Nile Delta, Egypt, irrigation canals are frequently located below ground level, necessitating the use of pumps to lift water to the fields.This pumping is dependent on the use of fossil fuels, directly with diesel and indirectly with electricity.
Recently, the agricultural sector is facing an energy crisis, as increasing electricity demand from urban areas results in frequent shortages and blackouts.
This results in disrupting the regular irrigation scheduling to satisfy the crop-water requirements with the consequence of crop yields decline. In addition, the cost of pumping is expected to increase. Therefore, a low-cost alternative source of energy is required to ensure farmers have a reliable system to pump and irrigate.
This green technology reduces the Delta’s agriculture vulnerability to energy supply, shocks and shortages, and water scarcity concerns. The implementation of solar energy, to provide reliable pumping capabilities at the farm-level, reinforces efforts for optimal irrigation-water resource management. The nexus of food-water-energy is overall strengthened.
Read/download "Water Scarcity Initiative" by FAO [pdf - 2,4 MB]
[Photo by ICARDA | Flickr]
