Provincial-level orientation on PURE platform: Digital innovation for irrigation planning

Organizers: Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) , ICIMOD, WindPower Nepal Pvt. Ltd.

About the event

To build momentum for data-driven and climate-resilient irrigation planning, ICIMOD, in collaboration with the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) and WindPower Nepal, is organising a series of provincial-level sensitisation workshops in Pokhara, Surkhet, and Hetauda. These events aim to familiarise stakeholders with the PURE platform and encourage its integration into local and provincial planning processes.

Objectives

The provincial level orientation programme aims to:

• Introduce key provincial stakeholders to the PURE platform, its functionalities, and its practical relevance
• Foster dialogue and gather recommendations for effective adoption and institutionalisation of the platform
• Build momentum for data-driven and climate-resilient irrigation planning across Nepal

Expected outcomes

• Increased awareness of the PURE platform’s utility for irrigation and renewable energy planning
• Strengthened stakeholder interest and commitment to adopt and scale the use of the platform
• Practical feedback and recommendations to support future upgrades and wider dissemination

Background

Nepal’s agricultural sector employs over 60% of the labour force, yet the sector contributes only 24% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), largely due to limited productivity and inefficient resource use. Of the 2.5 million hectares of land suitable for irrigation, only 35% has year-round irrigation, making farmers highly dependent on seasonal rainfall and increasingly vulnerable to climate change. While surface and groundwater resources offer significant potential, Nepal’s predominantly mountainous terrain creates challenges for irrigation development, often necessitating energy-intensive water-lifting solutions.

To address these challenges sustainably, the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), with support from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), developed the Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) platform. This digital tool supports planning for renewable energy-powered river lift irrigation by integrating satellite imagery and field data into a decision-support system. By overlaying various geographic and infrastructural datasets, the platform enables effective site identification for irrigation projects. Although initial implementation has shown promise, there remains a critical need to build awareness and capacity among government and sectoral stakeholders to fully leverage the platform’s potential for enhancing irrigation services and supporting national development objectives. To address these gaps, this consultancy aims to sensitise policymakers, planners, government engineers, and other stakeholders on the platform’s functionalities. By fostering its integration into planning processes at the federal, provincial, and local levels, this initiative seeks to unlock PURE’s full potential in enhancing irrigation services and supporting Nepal’s broader development goals.

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