Solar Energy for Agricultural Resilience (SoLAR) Phase II Inception Workshop in Bangladesh

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), under the Solar Energy for Agricultural Resilience (SoLAR) project supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), hosted the SoLAR Phase II Inception Workshop in Dhaka on 27 October 2025. The workshop marked a strategic transition from pilot interventions toward the large-scale and sustainable adoption of solar irrigation in Bangladesh.

Discussions highlighted the national ambition to replace approximately 1.2 million diesel irrigation pumps with solar-powered alternatives following the 2022 energy crisis. Supported by a roadmap developed with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the transition requires around 45,000 solar irrigation units, with an estimated investment of USD 1.8 billion, contributing to Bangladesh’s climate mitigation commitments under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Participants emphasized integrating solar irrigation with water-efficient practices such as Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and exploring agrivoltaics and grid-connected systems to optimize land use and create additional income opportunities for farmers. Stakeholders also stressed the importance of coordinated institutional frameworks and integrated data governance using a Water–Energy–Food (WEF) nexus approach to ensure sustainable groundwater management.

Phase II will establish Living Labs to co-design solutions with farmers while testing innovative financing mechanisms, including blended finance and pay-as-you-go models, to address high upfront costs.

The workshop brought together representatives from government agencies, research institutions, and development partners, fostering collaboration to scale solar irrigation for climate-resilient agriculture.