This video discusses the challenges Bangladesh faces with its high reliance on diesel-powered irrigation pumps and the potential solution of transitioning to solar pumps. The Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) in Bangladesh has introduced a fee-for-service model of Solar Irrigation Pump (SIP) adoption, with the grant component only 50%, to finance private-sector companies/NGOs for setting up the SIPs. Results show a significant reduction in diesel usage and provide important adaptation co-benefits to farmers, such as cheaper irrigation, reduced labor hours on irrigation, and access to supplementary irrigation. However, the financial viability of the #IDCOL SIPs is predominantly boro-reliant, and the video suggests actions to ensure the financial health of the SIPs and leverage their scaling-up potential, such as grid integration and net metering.
