Egypt's Qena Governorate to power up 1-gigawatt solar project by mid-2026    China's urban jobless rate eases in June '25    Asia-Pacific markets rise on China's GDP data    Egypt's Health Minister reviews drug authority cooperation with WHO    Egypt's PM orders 60,000 new homes for Alexandria's unsafe buildings    Crystal Martin to build large-scale textile, apparel factory in Egypt    Egypt urges EU support for Gaza ceasefire, reconstruction at Brussels talks    Escalation in Gaza as Israeli airstrikes intensify, ceasefire talks stagnate    Agriculture Minister discusses boosting agricultural cooperation with Romania, Moldova    Pakistan names Qatari royal as brand ambassador after 'Killer Mountain' climb    Health Ministry denies claims of meningitis-related deaths among siblings    Egypt, Mexico explore joint action on environment, sustainability    Egypt, Mexico discuss environmental cooperation, combating desertification    Needle-spiking attacks in France prompt government warning, public fear    Foreign, housing ministers discuss Egypt's role in African development push    Korea Culture Week in Egypt to blend K-Pop with traditional arts    Egypt, France FMs review Gaza ceasefire efforts, reconstruction    CIB finances Giza Pyramids Sound and Light Show redevelopment with EGP 963m loan    Greco-Roman tombs with hieroglyphic inscriptions discovered in Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Egypt condemns deadly terrorist attack in Niger        Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt's GAH, Spain's Konecta discuss digital health partnership    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Cabinet approves establishment of national medical tourism council to boost healthcare sector    Egypt's PM follows up on Julius Nyerere dam project in Tanzania    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Promoting solar powered irrigation
Published in Ahram Online on 17 - 12 - 2019

Eighty-five per cent of Egypt's water is consumed by agriculture, so rationalisation of water used in irrigation is a must, Dalia Sakr, an energy and environment consultant, told the Weekly on the sidelines of the regional dialogue on the benefits, risks and policy options of Solar Powered Irrigation Systems (SPIS) in the Arab region.
The discussion, held recently in Cairo, promoted the use of renewable energy such as solar power to irrigate agricultural land.
Climate change will cause desertification and water scarcity “which means that food security will be threatened,” Sakr said.
Tunisia has been using SPIS since 2015. Sub-Director of Agricultural Water Operations in Tunisia Kamal Al-Moaddab said the standard of living and lifestyle of peasants will improve after using SPIS which will lessen the burdens of pumping with electricity and diesel.
Khaled Bedoui, energy expert from from Tunisia, told participants that grants are being given to farmers to encourage them to use SPIS.
Attended by more than 40 experts, the dialogue was organised by GIZ, the German development organisation, Nexus Regional Dialogue for the Middle East and North Africa Region, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Arab Organisation for Agricultural Development (AOAD) and the League of Arab States (LAS). The Nexus Regional Dialogue Programme works on translating conceptual considerations into specific policy-making processes.
According to Nesrin Lahham of the Nexus Dialogue Programme and coordinator of the MENA region, SPIS represents one of the fastest growing applications throughout the Arab region. “This is mainly due to the radical phase-out of power and diesel subsidies, the decreasing costs of PV systems across the region and governmental subsidies of SPIS in some countries,” Lahham said.
Regarding the Sudanese experience, “SPIS represents an excellent alternative to diesel in small plantations,” Hashim Al-Tayeb, director of the irrigation sector at the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Sudan, told Al-Ahram Weekly. “It could also be used in modern irrigation as sprinkler irrigation. Using solar energy in plantation investments could guarantee Arab food security by expanding vertically and horizontally in plantation, as well as managing water resources ideally,” Al-Tayeb said.
Al-Tayeb explained to the Weekly that Sudan started to spread the culture of using solar energy in irrigation in 1982. “Using solar energy guarantees the continuity of irrigation whereas there could be many problems regarding using diesel. There are also many areas that are far from electricity resources and can make good use of solar energy in pumping ground water and increasing cultivated areas and land productivity accordingly,” he said.
“In 2019 there was no diesel in Yemen,” Ibrahim Al-Qadasi, water and irrigation engineer at FAO, said in his presentation about the Yemeni experience using SPIS. According to Al-Qadasi, Yemen is a country that needs SPIS the most because of the shortage of diesel as well as water. Al-Qadasi said diesel pumps cost a small fortune. He said the government supports farmers by providing financial facilities for the use of solar powered pumps, but that despite these efforts, “lots more is needed, including increased awareness among Yemeni farmers to use solar pumpers, obliging farmers to use modern irrigation systems, and distributing solar pumpers across the Yemeni republic”, Al-Qadasi said.
“The water scarcity that Egypt is facing now is a national security issue,” energy consultant Sakr told the Weekly. “Responsibilities should be determined between ministries. Information should be made available, there should be an increase in supporting the usage of latest technologies in irrigation, raising farmers' awareness in technical matters, finding creative solutions for issues and understanding the importance of legislation of laws to activate the usage of technology and benefit from it.”
On a similar note, Kamel Amer, Chairman of the Arab Organisation for Agriculture Development, worries that the fact that solar energy is free may encourage some farmers to use it without control and draw excessively on underground water.


Clic here to read the story from its source.