The project takes place in the community of Pintadas, in the Bahia state of Brazil, which is suffering increasingly severe drought impacts linked to climate change. There is a high demand for legumes from local and national markets, and a potential to cultivate a greater area of land for this purpose, but opportunities to expand local agricultural practices in this direction are restricted by the absence of an efficient, cost-effective irrigation system. Further, the high insulation rate of the area makes it extremely suitable for effective solar energy systems. This project seeks to improve agricultural productivity in this increasingly drought-prone region through the implementation of a more efficient system of irrigation which uses a photo-voltic (solar) energy system, which is sustainable and feasible for use and maintenance by the local community. This project is a sustainable, technological approach to adaptation and mitigation to climate change. The project consists of the installation of an electric water pump powered by solar photovoltaic (PV) energy and connected to a drip-irrigation system on a family farm in Pintadas.
The activities are: 

Implementation of water efficient irrigation systems (drip irrigation with water cistern) using solar PV (photovoltaic) water pumps
Capacity building of small farmers to improve agricultural productivity using water-efficient and affordable technologies that are easy to implement; and to use renewable energy for irrigation and to use water efficiently
To actively engage the local community, especially women, in the use of this technology, through participatory processes
To develop a regional replication and dissemination strategy

Publication date
Type of publication
Document
Objective
Adaptation
Approach
Community based
Collection
Eldis
Sectors
Agriculture and forestry
CTCN Keyword Matches
Community based
Solar PV
Solar
Irrigation
Brazil
Renewable energy
Ponds and tanks
Disaster risk reduction
Small-scale Combined Heat and Power