Second Nexus Virtual Forum. Photovoltaic Solar Irrigation Systems in Latin America and the Caribbean

On November 19, GIZ in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) organized the second Nexus virtual forum. The event was attended by 30 participants from various countries of the region. The objective of this second virtual meeting focused on discussing the opportunities and challenges of Solar Pumped Irrigation Systems (SPIS), and how a Nexus perspective can help mitigate the risks of overexploitation of water resources.

The discussion addressed issues such as, for example, the regulatory mechanisms and economic incentives for the implementation of SPIS subject to the efficient and sustainable use of water resources, investment costs, the challenges related to the lack of training, planning, and technical capacities; the urgent need for coherent communication between government entities to monitor and evaluate SPIS projects, the need to improve water use data and coordination between water, energy and agriculture authorities.

The event started with the participation of Ms. Silvia Saravia, from the Natural Resources Division of ECLAC, who gave a welcoming speech and talked about the role of ECLAC in the development of the region and the implementation of the Nexus. Mr. Antonio Levy, Regional Coordinator of the Nexus Dialogue in Latin America, oversaw moderating the meeting. The event had the participation of four expert panelists. Ms. Maria Ana Rodriguez, Global Coordinator of the Nexus program, presented the experience of SPIS in Tunisia and the Middle East, highlighting the contribution it has in agriculture and water use. Mr. Ramón Granada, the author of an independent study commissioned by GIZ, presented the experience with SPIS in Chile. Ms. Hannah Zander and Ms. Vanessa Zansi of the GIZ office in Bonn presented the SPIS toolbox, which was developed by the Powering Agriculture program. Mr. Miguel Solanes, expert in water policies, made the final presentation and complemented the previous presentations by discussing the needs that countries must meet for the implementation of SPIS. Finally, expert panelists interacted with the online audience through a question and answer section.