Tackling Climate Challenges and Gender Inequalities in Bangladesh with Solar-Powered Irrigation

Ambia Begum, 50, from Goalia village in Bakerganj upazila, Barishal, faced significant losses due to Cyclone Remal in May this year. “The strong winds damaged the paddy, and the tides, along with heavy rainfall, have also raised the water levels in canals, ponds, and rivers,” she said.

She further explained how the full moon, combined with the storm’s impact, had caused the water level to rise in her village in southern Bangladesh. As a result, low-lying areas, including her home, kitchen garden, and livestock shelter, were inundated by tidal water.

Increasing extreme weather events and women’s livelihoods

As the coastal regions of Barishal experience rapid shifts in weather patterns due to frequent cyclones forming in the Bay of Bengal, many people from the chars (riverine island) of Fulchhari upazila in Gaibandha, are being displaced and have resettled on the newly developed Kayumer Char in the Brahmaputra river.

Mariam Bibi, 38, shared that her community has lost all of their agricultural lands and homes due to riverbank erosion, forcing nearly all families to relocate to the newly developed char over the past four years. “Every year, we (char dwellers) face extreme weather events like floods, riverbank erosion, and drought. As a result, people are displaced to new settlements where access to essential requirements like agriculture, electricity as well as education, health—is severely restricted,” she said.

According to a recent report released by the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) in collaboration with Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) highlighted that Bangladesh faced 185 extreme weather events from 2000 to 2019, ranking it as the seventh most vulnerable country to climate change.

The increasingly frequent extreme weather events, such as prolonged summers and delayed monsoons, pose serious challenges for smallholder farmers, particularly women. With nearly 50% of agricultural labour force in the country being women, they are especially vulnerable to the negative impacts of these changes.

Sumi Mardi 40, a woman farmer from Birganj upazila in the northwest district of Dinajpur, said that last year the monsoon was delayed by around two weeks, leading to lower planting or sowing rates for kharif crops like rice and maize. To counter reduced yields and lower incomes, farmers are increasingly relying on groundwater irrigation using diesel pumps as an adaptation strategy. “Diesel pumps are expensive to run and labour-intensive to use. They require constant refueling and setting them up in the middle of the fields is hard work for us,” she said.

Solar Irrigation Pumps as game changers

Irrigation in Bangladesh primarily depends on imported diesel, but the Government of Bangladesh has started investing in solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) to replace diesel pumps in off-grid areas. The objective is to achieve energy security and reduce agriculture’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Apart from this, Ashok Kumar Biswas, Focal Person for Solar Projects, Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Government of Bangladesh, highlighted several advantages of solar irrigation which triggered them to introduce the SIPs, including low operational costs since the system runs on sunlight, eliminating the need for expensive fuel. Additionally, solar panels are environmentally friendly, causing no pollution, and have an extended lifetime.

“However, there are disadvantages, such as higher capital costs investment compared to equivalent diesel solutions. There is also a risk of theft, as solar panels and pumps are still considered valuable in some locations. Furthermore, in rural Bangladesh, the availability of spare parts and knowledgeable technicians is limited,” he added.

In 2018, the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) installed a Micro SIP and a 1.5 HP surface pump for irrigation in Bakerganj in Barishal and provided them to a group of fifteen farmers. The energy generated by the system is used to power a thresher and can easily irrigate over 15 bighas of boro rice from January to May. “The system has increased our family income by saving on diesel costs. Additionally, we have attempted to use the surplus energy to power lights and fans for our processing unit,” said Md. Nurul Islam, 60, member of the farmer group.

In 2023, to reduce vulnerability and improve the well-being of marginalized char dwellers in Fulchhari upazila, the Rural Development Academy, through the M4C program, introduced movable solar panels mounted on wheels and boats. These panels support irrigation in newly formed chars where electrification and tubewells are scarce. Mohammed Feroz, 45, the operator of the micro-SIP, explained, “With this portable pump, I can irrigate 1 acre per day and support the farming of maize, paddy, pulses, millet, and chili in the char.” He added that the SIP costs around BDT 100 per hour, compared to BDT 260 per hour for a diesel pump. The boat-mounted SIPs also provide piped irrigation services across a 20 km area, including Gajaria Char, Pepulia, Tengra Kand, and Beje Fulchar in the upazila.

These initiatives have reduced agricultural drudgery for women workers in both regions. Additionally, women in the chars report using portable micro-SIPs to bathe cattle and water kitchen gardens, freeing up time previously spent taking their cattle to the riverside. A similar intervention by the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) in Thakurgaon has allowed women to engage in other economic activities, such as fisheries, by freeing up their time from agriculture field after installation of SIPs.

Dr Ayesha Banu, Professor in the Department of Women and Gender Studies at the University of Dhaka, shared that agriculture in the country has become ‘feminized’ as men shift to non-agricultural jobs. “Women are stepping in, often for less pay. While access to resources and technology is seen as empowerment, they lack control due to deep-rooted gender norms,” she added.

Needs bolder adaptation response by addressing gender disparities

While solar pumps can be a game changer for women farmers currently dependent on diesel, training and access to finance remain significant challenges for them, in many interventions, men are typically trained to operate pumps, while women are trained in cattle rearing, limiting their roles in the farm to weeding, transplanting, harvesting, and post-harvest activities. There is a need to target women farmers specifically to ensure they fully benefit from SIPs. 

Angel Konthoujam, Gender Specialist at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), emphasized the persistent challenges of gender and social inequalities in agriculture-dependent, low- and middle-income countries like Bangladesh. She noted, “Socio-cultural barriers significantly hinder the adoption of solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) in rural Bangladesh. The limited decision-making power of women and the lack of legal land ownership are major obstacles preventing wider uptake.”

In Haria Panisara in Jhikorgacha upazila, most women farmers are engaged in floriculture, cultivating roses throughout the year, along with other flowers such as gerbera, gladiolas, chrysanthemum, and marigolds. However, climate change has significantly impacted production, as recent heatwaves have made it increasingly difficult to cultivate these flowers effectively.

Sajeda Begum, 50, has been cultivating flowers for the past 23 years, a pursuit she took up after her husband fell ill. She now works alongside her daughter, managing 1 bigha (0.619 acre) leased land for floriculture. Despite attending several training sessions, she faces significant challenges in irrigation, needing 1,000 liters of water daily and paying BDT 1000 per month for electricity to a pump owner. Sajeda believes that a solar pump could resolve her irrigation issues. However, despite approaching the bank for a loan, she was unsuccessful. She complained, “We are not getting subsidized loans as we don’t have access to land. The poor will always suffer.” She also noted that they face frequent load-shedding issues, and during a recent cyclone, she was without electricity for four days. Even in peak summer, she struggles to get water when needed.

Ms. Konthoujam further suggested that existing SIP models should be enhanced to promote a gender-just transition to solar energy in Bangladesh. Gender-related barriers of access to land, finances and low decision-making power have emerged from the needs and preferences study currently being undertaken by IWMI. Lack of access to finance can be countered by introducing innovative financial and institutional mechanisms that are women-centric to increase SIP ownership amongst women farmers. Additionally, with regards to design and usability of the SIP, she pointed out, “female farmers, tend to prefer smaller, portable micro-SIPs and fully subsidized financing options or credit specifically tailored for them. Lack of information is also a crucial factor as they often lack training and awareness, findings from her research are showing evidence that women farmers prefer training led by female trainers or agricultural extension workers to support SIP adoption and maintenance.”

Dr Ayesha Banu emphasized the need for meaningful engagement of women in agriculture. “Women are denied farmers’ cards, excluding them from access to schemes and subsidies. The government must ensure that women are treated as farmers and benefit from initiatives at all levels, from policymaking to implementation,” she said.

“Bangladesh’s transition to clean energy holds immense potential to empower women and build resilient communities,” said Dr. Darshini Ravindranath, Researcher and Lead of Solar Irrigation for Agricultural Resilience (SoLAR) in South Asia. Importantly, innovative finance models are needed to support promotion and uptake of solar as a women-friendly technology. “For instance, in West Bengal, India –use of a Revolving Guarantee Fund to provide financial autonomy for women farmers, led to 50% increase in income, through affordable and timely provision of water, while creating solar assets in the name of women”, she explained.

Lastly, Dr. Ravindranath highlighted the importance of targeted policies and course correction for inclusivity. Taking the example of Nepal and its adjustments to existing policies for better-targeted subsidies towards women applicant for SIPs.  Government partnership plays an important role in policy-shaping to achieve sustained, gradual processes that help address long-term gender inequalities in renewable energy transitions.