In order to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate impact on climate change whilst building community capacity to lead their own development, the project ?Combating Climate Change through Sustainable Energy for Rural Irrigation (SE4RI)? will promote climate smart technology, replacing costly inefficient unreliable diesel engines with a clean renewable solar energy scheme to power an irrigation scheme at Rustler?s Gorge. The project will also renovate the clinic?s broken solar scheme and pilot a small entrepreneur-managed solar energy kiosk that will offer battery charging to the community, who live in a remote area with no access to the national grid. This clean off grid renewable energy model has significant potential for replication in Zimbabwe and across southern Africa.
The project will target the diesel-powered Rustler?s Gorge irrigation scheme in ward 19 in Gwanda district in Zimbabwe. Mlambapele is near the confluence of the Shashe and Tuli Rivers along the Zimbabwe-Botswana border. It is a communal ward, which has a male councillor and has a population of 5399 (2902 females). The irrigation has been in place since before independence and there has been no resettlement in the area. The community are growing a few cash crops such as water melons, beans, cucumbers, tomatoes and for sale on local markets to meet basic household needs, and they grow wheat, maize and vegetables for household consumption but overall the households are very much existing at subsistence levels. 75% of the population in Mlambapele ward are female headed households, many with absentee husbands (migrant workers in South Africa and Botswana) are some are widows. The main sources of livelihoods are incomes from selling crops grown in irrigation schemes, followed by livestock rearing (cattle, goats and chicken), and also by selling crafts such as umthanyelo (reed brooms), reed baskets, amancimbi (Mopani worms).Agricultural production is compromised by unpredictable low rainfall patterns and access to energy. The Meteorological Service Department predicts a continuous reduction in the yearly received rainfall in Gwanda. The district is in drought prone region 5 which is very dry receiving an average annual precipitation of 600mm which makes rain fed agriculture not viable. Availability of deep underground water in this region calls for mechanization to pump water up. The grid (delivering intermittent electricity) is more than 5km away as the crow flies (but people travel over 20km to reach the nearest electrified area by road). Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has no plans to extend the grid in the near future and the irrigation schemes, small agro and other businesses would in any case struggle to afford the commercial electricity rates. The target sites therefore rely on kerosene and diesel at prices inflated due to their remoteness ? this includes the clinic which currently offers a poor service and sometimes has to turn away women in labour as it has no lights.

Practical Action has been working in the ward since 2010 on an EC funded Water project, so understands the context and has built relationships with local authorities and community members e.g. those involved in developing ward level development plans. Some of the farmers in the irrigation scheme may have participated in trainings as part of an EC funded food security project on smallholder dryland agriculture.
The irrigation scheme is managed by a committee of five members (of which 3, including the Chair, are women). The irrigation scheme has 30 members (15 men and 15 women). In 2011, the scheme had 69 members, but 39 dropped out after they were unable to pay the USD125 each required to buy a new engine from South Africa ? they still own land within the scheme but it is not currently productive. Each of the current 30 members buys their own diesel for irrigation (50 litres per 3 month season) from Gwanda town (150kms away). Due to the costs of maintaining the diesel engines which forced members to drop out, only about 15 hectares out of the available 36 hectares is being utilised, although the former members still own the land and are likely to return if given the opportunity.
The ?Combating Climate Change through Sustainable Energy for Rural Irrigation? (SE4RI) project will enable the replacement of environmentally unfriendly diesel engines which contribute to high greenhouse (GHG) gas emissions. The proposed 4.2Kw solar irrigation scheme, at 80% capacity utilization will result in offsetting at least 100 tonnes CO2 per year. The project will replace a relatively high running costs diesel generator with a relatively low running cost solar energy generator. The solar system has a life span of 25-30 years and will have minimal costs of maintenance compared to those of the diesel powered generator.
The project will also address the problem of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by the Mashaba clinic diesel generator which has been in place since the solar system fell into disrepair. By renovating the solar system (and providing capacity building on maintenance and operation, to ensure sustainability) this will offset at least 60 tonnes of CO2 per year. Providing a reliable source of lighting will significantly improve health services at the clinic, especially at night, which is when most births take place. The clinic currently serves areas of two wards, ward 19 and ward 20, for basic health care services ? over 5,000 people.
Moving to solar energy will result in significantly improved productivity and health services, whilst reducing CO2 equivalent emissions by 160 tonnes per year.

SE4RI will give at least 30 families from these poor isolated rural communities the opportunity to use clean reliable cheap energy, combined with training on improved sustainable agricultural production methods and access to markets, thus boosting production and income and helping the farmers move from subsistence to commercial production. It will give an opportunity to readmit the 39 members who could not afford to participate before. This project will create opportunities to increase agricultural productivity, expanding irrigated areas from 41% by up to 100% of potential area. The project will restore the irrigation scheme to former water extraction levels, to enable the scheme to pay for its maintenance. The project will not increase the hectrage beyond this area originally approved by the Ministry. Practical Action will train farmers on improved agronomic and natural resource management practices that include soil and water conservation, crop rotation, composting, mulching and integrated pest management. Rustler?s irrigation scheme is in a flat dry scrubland area. Agricultural Extension workers have been encouraging good farming practices and the irrigation scheme has minimal erosion and no gullies. Practical Action will further strengthen good agronomic practices through its training which includes soil and water conservation.


Inclusive business processes will link farmers with the private sector to access markets, generate income to improve household wellbeing and ensure financial viability of the solar scheme. The project will enable a small local entrepreneur to pilot a solar energy kiosk which will among other things provide battery recharging service for a price to the community. The small local entrepreneur will be identified through discussions with local leaders and farmers, and willingness and ability to repay a loan for the kiosk equipment will be a key factor. Selection criteria will prioritise women ? it is envisaged that 2 or 3 women may work together to run the kiosk. Key to achieving this is emphasizing the prioritisation of women and gender goals at the inception workshop with all stakeholders including local leaders and authorities.
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have broadened their strategy to increase rural energy access through off-grid energy systems but they lack experience and technical expertise as previous work has been solely grid extension. This project will demonstrate to them the technical feasibility of a clean solar energy scheme, thus encouraging and facilitating more government investment into clean energy.

Current situation Impact after project
100 tonnes CO2 equivalent/pa produced by diesel powered irrigation scheme 0 tonnes CO2 equivalent/pa produced
60 tonnes CO2 equivalent/pa produced by 0 tonnes CO2 equivalent/pa produced
30 members in the irrigation scheme 30+ members active (it is beyond the scope of the project to ensure that all 39 who dropped out return we but expect a significant increase in numbers)
15 hectares irrigated 36 hectares irrigated
100% of irrigation scheme is subsistence farming 100% have opportunity to increase production to generate income (commercialisation)
5,399 people accessing limited health services offered by the Clinic using unreliable diesel power 5,399 people accessing improved health services day and night

Practical Action commissioned an Environmental Impact Assessment in April 2013 to consider the impact of installing the solar systems ? this confirmed the reduction on CO2 emissions. A key focus of this project is to reduce carbon emissions and to engage REA on a practical learning journey to increase their ability to roll our clean energy schemes in other areas instead of grid extension, which relies on coal.