The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), in collaboration with Dr. Kiran C Patel Centre for Sustainable Development (KPCSD) at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) and other partner organisations, is hosting a Regional Knowledge Forum on “Energising Agriculture and Enabling Just Energy Transitions in South Asia” from February 6 to 8, 2023. This event is a part of IWMI’s project titled ‘Solar Irrigation for Agricultural Resilience in South Asia’ (SoLAR), funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
The forum is organised as a two-day conference – on February 06 and 07 – comprising plenary and parallel sessions in five thematic areas:
- Solarising Smallholder Irrigation: Policy landscape and empirical evidence of the impact of solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) on farmers’ incomes and livelihoods.
- Conserving Groundwater Through Solar Irrigation: Empirical evidence and future projections.
- Connecting Off-Grid to the Grid: Pilots and lessons from grid-connected solar irrigation projects.
- Renewable energy in agricultural value chains: Institutional models, policies, and case studies on livelihoods and impacts.
- Making energy transitions inclusive and equitable: Is renewable energy transition in South Asia GESI (gender, equity, and social inclusiveness) compatible?
The forum will be attended by regional researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in the renewable energy sector. It will be co-organised by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI); Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC); Dr Kiran C Patel Centre for Sustainable Development (KPCSD), IIT Gandhinagar; Ahmedabad University; Global Centre for Environment and Energy; International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA); World Resources Institute (WRI), India; International Solar Alliance (ISA), India; and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). To get details of sessions and speakers, please check the Conference Agenda.
About IWMI:
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is an international, research-for-development organization that works with governments, civil society, and the private sector to solve water problems in developing countries and scale up solutions. Through the partnership, IWMI combines research on the sustainable use of water and land resources, knowledge services, and products with capacity strengthening, dialogue, and policy analysis to support the implementation of water management solutions for agriculture, ecosystems, climate change, and inclusive economic growth. Headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, IWMI is a CGIAR Research Center with offices in 14 countries and a global network of scientists operating in more than 30 countries. In India, IWMI aims to improve the use of water in agriculture through innovative land and water management strategies that expand access to irrigation, maximize water productivity, enhance farmer incomes, and support ecosystem services. It also helps farmers adapt to climate change and quickly recover from disasters using a range of complementary approaches. Read more: https://iwmi.cgiar.org/
About SoLAR:
Solar Irrigation for Agricultural Resilience (SoLAR) in South Asia aims to sustainably manage the water-energy and climate interlinkages in South Asia through the promotion of solar irrigation pumps (SIPs). The main goal of the project is to contribute to climate-resilient, gender-equitable, and socially inclusive agrarian livelihoods in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan by supporting government efforts to promote solar irrigation. This project responds to government commitments to transition to clean energy pathways in agriculture. All countries in this project have NDC commitments to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and SIPs can play a significant role in reducing emissions in agriculture. Read more: https://solar.iwmi.org/
About IIT Gandhinagar:
IIT Gandhinagar offers extraordinary undergraduate and graduate education with unmatched innovations in curriculum. The Institute promotes critical thinking and an appreciation of the interdisciplinary character of knowledge, with an emphasis on the liberal arts, project-oriented learning, diversity, and globalisation. Around 80 percent of the faculty has an overseas degree orpost-doctoral experience abroad. Nearly 40 percent of its undergraduate students receive study abroad or other international opportunities. Its 5-week immersive Foundation Programme for incoming students underscores creativity, leadership, communication skills, ethics, social awareness, and physical activity. Established in 2008, the Institute has won several awards and recognitions and has developed strong partnerships with several leading institutions and organisations around the world. IIT Gandhinagar is committed to a holistic approach to education in engineering disciplines and beyond, cutting-edge research addressing global challenges, and giving back.