Improving equity outcomes in the solar irrigation subsidy delivery mechanism in Nepal

As of 2021, Nepal has installed over 2000 solar pumps. The Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) provides a 60% subsidy to install these pumps. Data from AEPC shows that in the five years between 2016 and 2021, a total of 9100 farmers had applied for solar pumps, and 21% of those farmers, mai...

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Main Authors: Shrestha, Shisher, Uprety, Labisha, Kafle, Kashi, Shreshtha, Gitta, Mukherji, Aditi
Format: Brief
Language:Inglés
Published: International Water Management Institute 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/125989
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author Shrestha, Shisher
Uprety, Labisha
Kafle, Kashi
Shreshtha, Gitta
Mukherji, Aditi
author_browse Kafle, Kashi
Mukherji, Aditi
Shreshtha, Gitta
Shrestha, Shisher
Uprety, Labisha
author_facet Shrestha, Shisher
Uprety, Labisha
Kafle, Kashi
Shreshtha, Gitta
Mukherji, Aditi
author_sort Shrestha, Shisher
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description As of 2021, Nepal has installed over 2000 solar pumps. The Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) provides a 60% subsidy to install these pumps. Data from AEPC shows that in the five years between 2016 and 2021, a total of 9100 farmers had applied for solar pumps, and 21% of those farmers, mainly from Nepal’s Tarai, got these pumps. The number of pumps given was limited by budget allocation but increased over time as outlays increased. The applicant pool tended to be relatively large holder male farmers from upper castes. While choosing beneficiaries for these subsidized solar pumps, officials of the AEPC managed to allocate a larger share of pumps to those with comparatively smaller landholdings, and 22% of the beneficiaries were women. However, with no formal criteria for selecting beneficiaries, the actual allocation process is subject to the discretion of the officials. Currently, the subsidy delivery policy is being revised. Transparent and inclusive criteria for beneficiary selection, greater involvement of local government institutions in the subsidy delivery process, better after-sales services, and periodic revisions of solar pump prices are recommended. These steps will likely help create demand from more diverse groups of farmers and ensure equity outcomes in the distribution of solar irrigation subsidies.
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spelling CGSpace1259892025-11-07T08:26:58Z Improving equity outcomes in the solar irrigation subsidy delivery mechanism in Nepal Shrestha, Shisher Uprety, Labisha Kafle, Kashi Shreshtha, Gitta Mukherji, Aditi solar pumps energy farmers irrigation As of 2021, Nepal has installed over 2000 solar pumps. The Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) provides a 60% subsidy to install these pumps. Data from AEPC shows that in the five years between 2016 and 2021, a total of 9100 farmers had applied for solar pumps, and 21% of those farmers, mainly from Nepal’s Tarai, got these pumps. The number of pumps given was limited by budget allocation but increased over time as outlays increased. The applicant pool tended to be relatively large holder male farmers from upper castes. While choosing beneficiaries for these subsidized solar pumps, officials of the AEPC managed to allocate a larger share of pumps to those with comparatively smaller landholdings, and 22% of the beneficiaries were women. However, with no formal criteria for selecting beneficiaries, the actual allocation process is subject to the discretion of the officials. Currently, the subsidy delivery policy is being revised. Transparent and inclusive criteria for beneficiary selection, greater involvement of local government institutions in the subsidy delivery process, better after-sales services, and periodic revisions of solar pump prices are recommended. These steps will likely help create demand from more diverse groups of farmers and ensure equity outcomes in the distribution of solar irrigation subsidies. 2022-12-01 2022-12-14T11:59:33Z 2022-12-14T11:59:33Z Brief https://hdl.handle.net/10568/125989 en Open Access application/pdf International Water Management Institute Shrestha, Shisher; Uprety, Labisha; Kafle, Kashi; Shreshtha, Gitta; Mukherji, Aditi. 2022. Improving equity outcomes in the solar irrigation subsidy delivery mechanism in Nepal. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 4p. (Solar Irrigation for Agricultural Resilience [SoLAR] Issue Brief Series 4)
spellingShingle solar
pumps
energy
farmers
irrigation
Shrestha, Shisher
Uprety, Labisha
Kafle, Kashi
Shreshtha, Gitta
Mukherji, Aditi
Improving equity outcomes in the solar irrigation subsidy delivery mechanism in Nepal
title Improving equity outcomes in the solar irrigation subsidy delivery mechanism in Nepal
title_full Improving equity outcomes in the solar irrigation subsidy delivery mechanism in Nepal
title_fullStr Improving equity outcomes in the solar irrigation subsidy delivery mechanism in Nepal
title_full_unstemmed Improving equity outcomes in the solar irrigation subsidy delivery mechanism in Nepal
title_short Improving equity outcomes in the solar irrigation subsidy delivery mechanism in Nepal
title_sort improving equity outcomes in the solar irrigation subsidy delivery mechanism in nepal
topic solar
pumps
energy
farmers
irrigation
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/125989
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