Does solar irrigation threaten groundwater sustainability? Evidence from India and Bangladesh

Vista sencilla de ítem
dc.creatorAlam, Mohammad Faiz
dc.creatorVarshney, Deepak
dc.creatorMitra, Archisman
dc.creatorPavelic, Paul
dc.creatorMahapatra, Smaranika
dc.creatorHabib, A.
dc.creatorKrishnan, S.
dc.creatorSikka, Alok
dc.creatorRavindranath, Darshini
dc.date2025-09-16
dc.date2025-09-16T08:01:08Z
dc.date2025-09-16T08:01:08Z
dc.date.accessioned2026-06-27T18:27:40Z
dc.descriptionGroundwater irrigation underpins South Asian agriculture but is increasingly unsustainable. Solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) are promoted to cut carbon emissions and subsidy costs, yet concerns persist about over-extraction. This study, under the SDC-supported SoLAR project, assesses two models: fee-for-service SIPs in Bangladesh and grid-connected SIPs in India. Results show no significant rise in groundwater use with solar adoption in these two models. In Bangladesh, operator-managed SIPs kept use in check despite cheaper costs, though some shift toward Boro paddy was noted. In India, grid-connected SIPs with feed-in incentives reduced water use in alluvial aquifers, while hard-rock systems showed little change. The findings highlight that groundwater impacts are context-specific, with well-designed solar models offering low-carbon irrigation without major sustainability risks.
dc.formatapplication/pdf
dc.identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/176500
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/156564
dc.languageen
dc.publisherInternational Water Management Institute
dc.rightsOpen Access
dc.sourceAlam, M. F.; Varshney, D.; Mitra, A.; Pavelic, P.; Mahapatra, S.; Habib, A.; Krishnan, S.; Sikka, A.; Ravindranath, D. 2025. Does solar irrigation threaten groundwater sustainability? Evidence from India and Bangladesh. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 6p. (Solar Irrigation for Agricultural Resilience [SoLAR] Issue Brief Series 8).
dc.subjectsolar powered irrigation systems
dc.subjectgroundwater management
dc.subjectsustainability
dc.subjectpumps
dc.subjectwater use
dc.titleDoes solar irrigation threaten groundwater sustainability? Evidence from India and Bangladesh
dc.typeBrief

Archivos

Colecciones

Instituto Internacional para el Manejo del Agua (IWMI)