Design of solar powered lift irrigation system for mountainous regions

Organisers: ICIMOD, Department of Energy, Bhutan Ecological Society, International Development Research Centre

Agenda

About the training

Bhutan’s irrigation sector faces a critical shortage of skilled professionals, particularly women, at all administrative levels. This gap undermines feasibility studies, system design, construction oversight, and long-term maintenance – limiting modernisation and adoption of solar PV irrigation. Therefore, to build a robust future talent pipeline, it is essential to invest in and empower the next generation of professionals.

To address these challenges, the Women’s Empowerment through Renewable Energy-Powered Lift Irrigation Systems in Bhutan (WERELIS – Bhutan) project is organising a two-day specialised online design training for students from College of Natural Resources, Jigme Namgyel Engineering College, College of Science and Technology, all under the Royal University of Bhutan to enhance their technical expertise in solar-powered lift irrigation systems. This capacity-building program aims to equip participants with critical design skills, helping bridge the gender gap in renewable energy for irrigation.

Objectives  

• Provide foundational knowledge on solar-powered lift irrigation systems.
• Explain the working principles and sizing of key system components.
• Equip women engineers/agriculturalist/environmentalist with the skills needed to lead in design, implementation, and maintenance of sustainable irrigation solutions.
• By focusing on women’s technical and leadership development, this initiative aims to bridge the gender gap in modernising Bhutan’s irrigation sector.

Background

Agriculture employs 40% of the Bhutanese population, with women comprising more than half of the agricultural workforce. However, the sector’s contribution to GDP has been steadily declining due to a combination of climatic, environmental, and socio-economic challenges, threatening the country’s self-sufficiency in staple crops. Currently, only 20% of cultivable land is irrigated, highlighting a critical gap in agricultural productivity.

Bhutan’s traditional irrigation systems – mainly gravity-fed, open channel – are seasonal and increasingly vulnerable to climate change. The country’s mountainous terrain often necessitates lifting water from sources at a lower elevation, presenting both logistical challenges and opportunities. Bhutan’s abundant fast-flowing rivers present significant potential for renewable energy (RE)-powered solutions, such as decentralised lift irrigation systems – offering a sustainable and innovative path to expand irrigation infrastructure, particularly through sustainable and innovative solutions, and address pressing agricultural challenges. However, current efforts to harness this potential often overlook gender-inclusive and gender-responsive strategies, limiting the equitable participation of women and marginalised groups in the irrigation sector.

Women’s Empowerment through Renewable Energy-Powered Lift Irrigation Systems in Bhutan (WERELIS – Bhutan) project seeks to address these gaps. The project is implemented by ICIMOD in collaboration with the Department of Energy, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Royal Government of Bhutan along with field implementing partner Bhutan Ecological society. The project is funded by International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada.

The project aims to lay the groundwork for the broader adoption of renewable energy-powered irrigation systems by equipping decision-makers with evidence-based knowledge, practical tools, and scalable models, while also building technical capacity to integrate gender considerations into planning and implementation.