By

Amrita Rauniyar

Shisher Shrestha.

Climate change is having a global impact on water security and agricultural practices. As a result, there is a need for sustainable agricultural practices (Singh et al., 2024). Boosting agriculture in a changing climate requires climate-resilient technologies that address both adaptation and mitigation measures. Solar irrigation systems offer a promising solution by providing an environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative to traditional diesel-powered irrigation pumps (Li et al., 2017). However, the successful implementation of these systems relies heavily on field-based comprehensive capacity building of the end users.  Unlike conventional training, which often focuses on immediate skill acquisition, capacity-building through interactive community engagement aims to foster long-term sustainability and resilience (Anthony, 2024).     

This article highlights field-based experience on the critical role of such capacity building workshop. This intervention followed community engagement and interactions as a key approach. Needs assessment, customized curriculum development, and interactive training methods are essential components of effective capacity building. We used this principle to design a capacity-building workshop to support an innovative grid-connected solar irrigation pilot project in Nepal.

The workshop was organized between November 5 and 7, 2023, by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Nepal in collaboration with Chhipaharmai Rural Municipality. It primarily focused on building capacity in solar irrigation pumps (SIP) and agriculture practices for farmers. These activities were part of the Solar Irrigation for Agricultural Resilience in South Asia ( SoLAR-SA) Project.

Understanding Community Engagement and Capacity-Building Training

 

To ensure engaging and inclusive training, a series of field visits were conducted before delivering the on-site training on SIP systems and their operation and maintenance requirements. The objectives of the field visits were to sensitize male and female farmers about the project and assess their needs for skills development to operate SIPs, irrigation management, and agriculture practices. Taking traditional gender norms into account, we employed separate focus group discussions for male and female farmers when discussing with them about the SIP systems, irrigation and agricultural issues. Separate focus group discussions with women facilitated by a local female researcher allowed them a safe and easy space to discuss about knowledge and skills of irrigation, agriculture, and SIPs technology in local language. The activities supported include both men and women farmers in the training, in which female farmers make up 59% of the total 47 participants. This attendance by female farmers in Terai, where deeply entrenched gender and social norms prevent them from participating in community activities, would not be possible without sensitizing them about the SIP technology and identifying their needs and preferred methods of learning and knowledge transfer prior to the training.

Training Methodology

Pre-training community engagement for needs assessment that involved continuous interaction through a series of field-visits, focused on eight farmers who are involved in the pilot project that focuses on off-grid SIP integration into the grid.  However, the training also incorporated other farmers in the area.  Bhojpuri language was used alongside Nepali during the sessions, as the majority of the farmers primarily speak Bhojpuri. All interactions were designed to be easily understandable, incorporating visual displays and thematic diagrams/photos. In between these sessions, farmers were asked questions to gauge their knowledge levels. Additionally, women and men were trained and interviewed separately to prevent any social prejudice.

Key Components of Capacity-Building Training

Needs Assessment

A female farmer said, “We have been following the traditional method in planting crops without any training.”

A need assessment was conducted for the eight farmers to understand the training and capacity-building requirements on SIP maintenance, water governance, agricultural productivity, water pricing, and market within the community. This assessment included understanding crop water requirements, agricultural practices, existing energy infrastructure for groundwater pumping, and the socio-economic context of the farmers. The need assessment mapped out knowledge gaps and capacity-building activities needed to enhance skills of the community.

Customized Curriculum Development

“I haven’t visited the Solar site yet and don’t even have much idea on how the system operates” expressed by female farmer, Chhipharmai, Parsa

By understanding these needs, training programs were tailored to address the most pressing issues effectively. The curriculum (Figure 1) covered the fundamental agriculture practices, basics of agricultural water management, modern vegetable farming, seedbed preparation, and seed treatment, insect and pest management, and best practices for operating and maintaining solar pumps.

Interactive Training Methods

Training methods incorporated a range of interactive and engaging techniques, such as practical demonstrations (Photo 2 and 3), visual displays, and interactive learning sessions. By using simple and diverse training approaches of this type, participants were more likely to retain information and apply their new skills in practice.

Key observations from community-engagement

User Committee Formation

“Women laborers are primarily only involved in cutting the straw” —a female farmer mentioned.

To ensure project sustainability and community ownership, the SIP user committee was established under the name “Saurya Urja Krishak Samuha”.  The committee has a president, vice-president, secretary, deputy secretary, treasurer, and four members. The committee implemented rules on water access for irrigation such as a fixed water selling price of NRs. 100 per hour. Due to prevailing social norms and gender practices such as women’s hesitation to sit beside male and their obligation to hide their faces using a saree veil in the Terai region, a sub-committee of five female farmers was formed to facilitate inclusive participation and informal discussions among women members on SIP operation and agriculture practices.

Community Governance and Institutional Mechanism Development

To foster a sense of ownership and build the capacity of farmers to independently operate the system, it is essential for them to assume various responsibilities. For this, user committee members were assigned roles and responsibilities such as addressing grid-related issues, managing the committee’s bank account, collecting money, resolving pump-related problems, and organizing monthly meetings to discuss the opportunities and shortcomings of the operation of grid-connected SIP.  

Enhanced knowledge of participants after the Workshop

Evaluation through pre- and post-training surveys revealed significant improvement in farmers’ knowledge across five different training themes, as shown in Figures 2a and 2b. Participants rated their knowledge levels on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being low and 5 being high. The farmers’ ratings on agriculture water management increased from 1-3 before the training to 4-5 afterward. Similarly, knowledge levels on modern vegetable farming increased from 1-4 to 3-4. For seedbed preparation and seed treatment, knowledge levels enhanced from 1-3 to 3-4. In the topic of insect and pest management, participants rated their knowledge levels as increasing from 1-4 to 4-5. Lastly, for the training theme on SIP operation and maintenance, participants’ ratings improved from 1 in the pre-survey to 4-5 in the post-survey.

Building Community Resilience

“I sometimes operate the SIP for irrigation. Since it’s an easy procedure, I can do it by myself without any assistance. Diesel pump operation requires labor, so, it is mainly done by men” expressed by a female farmer who attended the SIP training.

As farmers gain year-round access to irrigation, they can enhance their agricultural productivity and cultivate crops during the dry season. By acquiring the skills to independently manage their water and energy resources, they become more resilient to external shocks, like energy price fluctuations and the impacts of climate change. Furthermore, women farmers in the committee find it easier to operate the SIP in comparison to handling diesel pumps, typically managed by men.  Having the capacity to operate SIP has improved the resilience of women farmers in the community, enabling them to access irrigation water for their kitchen gardens.

Bridging Knowledge Gaps for women farmers

Many rural women faced barriers to accessing education and technical training, limiting their engagement and contribution to projects (Luftu-ul-Hasnaen et al., 2023). These issues have been addressed through targeted interventions, such as offering on-site training and community engagement programs in local languages—specifically Bhojpuri, spoken in this rural municipality—and creating women-friendly learning environments by employing female field staff who can offer guidance.  These measures have helped to bridge the knowledge gaps and promote more inclusive participation.

Conclusion

Community engagement and capacity building play a crucial role in the success and long-term sustainability of technology intervention projects like solar irrigation. By actively involving community members and addressing their unique needs through customized training programs, these projects can promote ownership, improve agricultural skills, and empower communities.
Through targeted efforts to bridge knowledge gaps, interactive community engagement, and effective training, the full potential of technological interventions can be harnessed.

References

Anthony, B., 2024. The Role of Community Engagement in Urban Innovation Towards the Co-Creation of Smart Sustainable Cities. J Knowl Econ 15, 1592–1624. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-023-01176-1

Li, G., Jin, Y., Akram, M.W., Chen, X., 2017. Research and current status of the solar photovoltaic water pumping system – A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 79, 440–458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.05.055

Luftu-ul-Hasnaen, S., Parvez, Z., Syed, K., 2023. Empowering Rural Women through Skill Development: A Pathway to Sustainable Livelihoods. Qlantic Journal of Social Sciences 4, 306–318. https://doi.org/10.55737/qjss.613783673

Singh, P., Roy, P., Kumari, A., 2024. Evolving Extension Science towards Secondary Agriculture for Sustainable Development 05, 23–24.

Sivamainthan, K., 2008. Capacity Building: A Framework for the Built Environment Education.