Snapshots

Transforming Agriculture and Mitigating Climate Change: The Nasho Solar-Powered Irrigation Project

In Rwanda, as in many Sub-Saharan African countries, the expansion of irrigation is essential for agricultural development, food security and climate resilience. The agriculture sector contributes 90% of the country's food production and 35% of GDP. It is integral to Rwanda's socio-economic development, with around 70% of the population depending on the sector for their livelihoods. However, a large share of the population remains food insecure, particularly in rural areas.

Consistent access to water is essential for maintaining and improving agricultural yields, as Rwanda supports diverse crop production throughout the year. However, fluctuating rainfall patterns, water management challenges and competing demands limit farmers' access to reliable water sources. Irrigation plays an important role in securing water for agriculture, yet only around 9.5% of the country's potential irrigable land has formal infrastructure. Inadequate energy access and reliance on costly fuel-based irrigation systems have slowed uptake.

Off-grid solar-powered irrigation pumps offer a solution to these challenges, yet their adoption remains low in Rwanda and across Sub-Saharan Africa due to systemic barriers such as high costs, lack of regulation and limited market development. In 2020, a promising initiative was launched to help surmount these obstacles and enhance agricultural productivity in the Nasho region in the southern expanse of the Eastern Province. The Nasho Solar-powered Irrigation Project, covering around 1,100 hectares, was a collaborative effort between the Rwandan government and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, which channelled USD 54 million in funding to the project.

The project deployed 63 pivot irrigation systems – powered by a 3.3 MW solar plant with 2.4 MW of battery storage – and benefited 2,099 small-scale farmers. Farmers, organised under the Nasho Irrigation Cooperative (NAICO), managed the infrastructure with technical assistance from Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development, ensuring the sustainability of the project. This enabled year-round cultivation, more efficient use of resources (including water and fertiliser), and improved crop yields.

According to some estimations, the system could empower small-scale producers to elevate their annual production from 3-5 tonnes per hectare to nearly 10 tonnes per hectare. Alongside these anticipated crop yield gains, the project aimed to ensure access to and adoption of technologies that enhance agricultural value chains and promote soil conservation. The project also enhanced transport infrastructure, with 24 kilometres of existing roads resurfaced and 10 kilometres of new roads introduced.

The Nasho Solar-powered Irrigation Project is set to expand by an additional 1,050 hectares in 2024. This expansion aims to cut emissions 10% by 2030, enhance food security, and reduce dependency on imported fossil fuels, while increasing the land surface under irrigation. The investment needed to realise this vision is projected to be around USD 280 million, requiring participation from the government, the private sector and international partnerships.

Source: See endnote 62 for this module.