SOLAR FOR LIFE Using Solar Drip Irrigation to Feed Northern Mali

By Janice Tran JT2735

SUMA K4150 Phil LaRocco

12.11.2013

I. Introduction

The Republic of Mali, or Mali for short, is a landlocked country in the Sahelian belt of West Africa. It

covers an area of 1.2 million km2 with a population of 16.3 million. Mali is one of the poorest countries

in the world, ranking 160 out of 169. The country currently faces an extreme food security challenge.

Three out of four households in the northern regions of the country are either moderately to severely

food insecure, or heavily dependent on food aid. These food issues are largely due to droughts over the

past two years. Over 95% of the region’s crops rely on rain irrigation and the droughts have led to

massive crop failures and increases in food prices, to the point where families cannot afford to eat.

Although lacking food and water, the one resource the region does not lack is solar radiation. The

country receives close to double the global average of solar energy. The enterprise proposed in this

report, Solar for Life, aims to capture the high solar potential of Northern Mali and apply it to irrigation

practices in order to solve the country’s dire food challenge. The enterprise will use a newly developed

system called a Solar Powered Drip Irrigation (SPDI) system, which combines two common technologies,

solar photovoltaic water pumps and drip irrigation, to decrease the dependency of crops on irregular

rain fall and give farmers the ability to grow high yield, high value crops throughout the year.

The project is based on a successful pilot run by Stanford University’s Program on Food Security and the

Environment in the country Benin located in West Africa, just south of Mali. Using some data from the

pilot as well as external research, financial projections show Solar for Life is able to yield a 23% internal

rate of return and offer a payback period of 3 years. The positive social impact include improved food

security, nutrition, income security and access to energy and water in certain periods of the year.

II. Country and Regional Overview

Mali is a landlocked country in West Africa where 51% is desert lands and 4% are arable lands under

natural conditions. Mali is the 9th poorest country in the world and ranks 182 out of 187 on the 2013

UNDP Human Development Indexi. The GDP per capita of Mali is $693.98 USD. The country is in a trade

deficit of over $2 Billion dollars, with the main export being gold and imports ranging from fuels, cement

and food staples (See Appendix A. In March 2012, President Amadou Toumani Toure was overthrown in

a military coup and civil unrest broke out between the interim government and four rebel groupsii. Some

experts have argued that food shortages and drought, acted as a tipping point to the civil unrest. The

opposing groups entered into a ceasefire in October 2013 and have been working on an agreement

which is anticipated to stop the fighting. The fighting has put additional strain on resources, like food

and water, and has disrupt some essential services. As such, political security is a concern for all

enterprises operating in the area.

III. Challenges: Food, Water, Energy

Food: The most pressing challenge for the people of Northern Mali is having enough food to eat and

water to drinkiii. The first concern among the local communities is to find a way to overcome the

endemic lack of water and agricultural produce that place the people of the region in a cycle of poverty

and poor health. In the northern regions around 50 percent of people have already sold off or

mortgaged their assets, further threatening

food security. 1.3 million continue to be in need

of food assistance throughout 2013 and into

2014. This number will rise to approximately 1.5

million people once those displaced by the

fighting return to their Maliiv. Although most citizens are engaged in agricultural production as their

main livelihood, they nevertheless spend 50–80% of their income on food, and are often net buyers of

food, particularly staples. Their high imports and food security issues are due to the region’s inability to

grow vegetables and staples because of the low and inconsistent rainfall.v Currently only 4 percent of

cropland in Mali is irrigated.vi Many grow low-value cereal crops that depend on a short rainy season, a

Figure 1 Oxfam – Food Security Map of Mali, April 23, 2013

practice that traps farmers in poverty and malnutrition. Reliable access to irrigation water could change

the farmers' situation. The development community is currently calling for investments in small-scale

irrigation projects and hydrologic mapping to help buffer the growers from the erratic weather and poor

crop yields that are expected to worsen in the future due to climate change and population growth.vii

Drinking Water: A lack of clean drinking water and poor sanitation systems has made humanitarian

organizations fear a cholera outbreak. Cholera is endemic in Mali, and last year 1,000 cases were

reported in the northern region. With a faltering water system in Gao and a lack of public health

facilities, providing safe drinking water is a critical challenge and need. viii

Energy: Electrification rates are very low in Mali, with 15% of rural towns and villages and 55% of urban

centers having electricity. The country imports all of its liquids fuels which includes diesel and gasoline.

Spending on fuels currently amount to up to 75-80% of the country’s operational expenditures which

makes the economy susceptible to swings in world oil prices. The shortage of energy coupled with

projected population growth creates an opportunity for developing the nation’s high solar exposure and

to support solar energy enterprises. The National Energy Policy governs Mali’s energy sector. There are

active efforts to increase renewable energy production in the country, with a goal of reaching 15% of

total energy production through renewables in 2020ix

IV. SWOT Analysis for Solar for Life

(SWOT diagram located in Appendix A) Strengths: One major strength of Mali is its geography. Average

solar radiation in Mali is well distributed over the nation with an estimated 5-7 kWh/m3/day and a daily

sun lighting duration of 7-10 hours; this is well above the global average of 4-5 kWh/m3/day. The

business environment is also friendly for solar development. There are active efforts by the government

in the National Energy Policy to increase renewable energy as a means for development and strengthen

energy independence.

Weaknesses: A weakness of using solar drip irrigation technology is that it is a fairly new technology and

therefore has a higher chance of mechanical failures. The technology will also be imported to Mali and

so shipment logistics and tariffs will need to be addressed. Training of local staff and ongoing

maintenance of the system will also need be considered. Finally, securing food contracts with buyers will

be an issue.

Opportunities: Mali is in dire need of food as well as being water scarce. Energy access is also a

challenge for the country. As the effects of climate change lead to longer droughts and as the population

continues to grow, these resource scarcity issues will only worsen. These challenges mean many

opportunities to improve food security through agricultural practices, like irrigation techniques, and for

enterprises which increase access to drinking water and energy.

Threats: The most significant threat is the current civil unrest that has affected the country for the past

two years and will increase the political risk of working in the country. Although the two fighting sides

are in peace talks, there is a chance that the negotiations won’t be successful or there is a relapse in

civility and fighting continues. Additionally, the nation’s food supply is currently highly dependent on

food and development aid and if the world’s economy worsen, withdrawal of foreign aid may affect any

enterprise that relies on their support.

V. Enterprise Proposal – Solar for Life

With Mali’s close proximity to the desert and high solar radiation, solar energy could be captured to

solve the country’s food needs. The proposed enterprise, Solar for Life, has the objective of utilizing

solar energy to improve food access to the northern regions of Mali through drip irrigation practices. It

also hopes to provide access to drinking water and energy as secondary objectives. In order to meet

these objectives, the enterprise consists of five components: solar drip irrigation technology, contracts

with food buyers, allocation of farm yields, solar charging services, and water access services. The

following section will go through each component of the enterprise through the Policy, Technology,

Enterprise framework. An additional analysis through the spider framework is in Appendix E.

Policy: Although agriculture is a mainstay in Mali, the sector itself is not heavily regulated. The

government encourages foreign investment in agriculture and charges a tax of 20% on producers.

Technology: The technology utilized is called a Solar Powered Drip Irrigation (SPDI) system which was

successfully piloted by Stanford University’s Program on Food Security and the Environment in northern

Benin. More information about the study can be found in Appendix B.

The SPDI system is a combination of two well used technologies, solar-powered water pumps and drip

irrigation tubes, however the marriage of the two technologies is fairly new. Drip irrigation is the most

rapidly growing type of irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa. The technology delivers water and fertilizer

directly to the roots of plants through low-lying tubes, thereby improving soil moisture conditions and

decreasing rates of evaporation. Cases of drip irrigation have resulted in yield gains of up to 100%, water

savings of up to 40–80%, and associated fertilizer, pesticide, and labor savings over conventional

irrigation systemsx. The consistent rainfall and water efficiency allows for introduction of new

(potentially high-value) crops in regions where they could not be sustained by rainfall alone.

Solar-powered photovoltaic pumps save hours of labor in off-grid areas where water hauling is

traditionally done by hand by women and young girls. Diesel powered pumps are one option but since

Mali imports all of its liquid fuels, utilizing solar over diesel powered generators will make the farm

immune to fuel price fluctuations or shortages. In the medium- to long- term, solar pumps cost less than

traditional diesel-powered generators as well.

Solar-powered pumps and drip irrigation systems make an ideal pairing. Drip irrigation applications in

the developing world have been limited by reliable access to water. This can be solved by using solar

water pumps which enable the farmer to pump water from a nearby stream to the irrigated land.

Furthermore, the amount of solar radiation received is linked to pump speed, and since solar radiation is

the main driver of evapotranspiration, the pump speed will correlate to how much water crops need. xi

For example, the pump works faster when it is sunny and the plants need more water, and vice-versa. A

SPDI system is shown in Figure 2, where a PV array

powers a pump, which feeds water to a reservoir. The

reservoir then gravity-distributes the water to a low-

pressure drip irrigation system. Sizing of pumps,

reservoirs, and fields is done based on water

availability and estimated evapotranspiration needs for the region. When used together, solar water

pumps and drip irrigation allow farmers to grow during the dry season and produce profitable, high-

nutrition crops like fruits and vegetables in addition to the cereal crops they already grow. The system

will provide a much-needed source of both income and nutrition for the poor. (See Appendix C & D for

more details on the technology and requirements).

Water Access: Water can be accessed through the use of bore holes or from nearby streams. For the

first pilot, a nearby stream will be the water source as drilling boreholes will incur additional costs.

Farms can draw water from a small year-round stream using a floating motor pump.xii Ideal farm

locations for the pilot are in the purple box region on the water map of Mai in Appendix E.

Enterprise - Food Contracts: To ensure that there is a ready buyer for the produce harvested, and at a

predictable price, Solar for Life will enter into food purchase contracts with food aid organizations. This

is similar to power purchase agreement, only applied to food instead of energy. Food aid organizations,

like the United Nation’s World Food Program have been operating in Mali and providing emergency

food aid for over five years. With increasingly severe droughts and civil unrest, more food aid is now

being delivered than ever before. Much of the food donated is sourced from across the world and

shipped to Mali for relief, and so by purchasing from Mali farmers to provide to the country and

Figure 2 Technical drawing of a solar powered drip irrigation system

neighboring nations, aid organizations are able to cut down transport costs while at the same time

spurring the local economies. There is the risk that food organizations will not enter into contacts in

which case local governments or international buyers will purchase this food at a contracted price. The

ideal terms of the contract will be five years to grow high nutrients vegetables such as tomato, okra,

pepper, hot pepper, eggplant, carrot, amaranth, moringa, and other greens. The price will be at the

average food price (approximately $0.90/kg).

Enterprise - Yield Allocation: The farms will act as farming cooperatives where every farmer on the field

will have a stake on the crop’s profits and yields. The objective of the farm is not only to be financially

sustainable but to also increase the nutrition and food available to the community. Therefore the crop’s

yields will be allocated to meet this objective. 50% of the yield will be sold to the contractor(s) at global

food prices, 30% to be sold to market at a cost that is affordable within the town (assumed to be half

the cost of the world food price), and the remaining 20% stays within the co-operative and given to the

families for free. The allocation and targeted pricing will encourage farmers to manage the farm while at

the same time allowing enough to be exported to guarantee the financial payback of the project.

Enterprise - Solar Charging and Water Access: Drip irrigation requires watering approximately every six

days for about 75 minutes at a timexiii. This means that the utilization of the solar PV to pump water and

irrigate the land is approximately 3% of the year. xiv With the remaining idle time, the solar PVs can be

used to charge cell phones and solar lamps through a pay-per-use system. Additionally, some of the

energy can be used to pump water for drinking purposes. The drinking water will need to be filtered and

stored in a second container but can then sold by the liter at a low cost to the local community market.

VI. Economics, Operations and Financing

Economic feasibility: Financial projections show that Solar for Life is economically sustainable. The 5-

year financial analysis located in Appendix G shows an enterprise payback period of approximately 3

years, 23% internal rate of return and a positive NPV. These returns are based on the ideal scenario

where food aid or government buyers agrees to purchase 50% of the crop yields at the average world

food price of $0.90/kg, 30% of the yield is sold at a discount in the local market at $0.45/kg and 20% of

the yield is given for free to the farmers. A pessimistic scenario (Appendix H) where no food contract is

obtained and all food is sold on the local market at $0.70/kg (still below world food prices) would yield a

payback period of 3.5 years and a 17% internal rate of return. Both scenarios assume average monthly

farm yields would produce 2,000 kg of produce. All assumptions and their sources used to derive these

financial projects can be found in Appendix G & H.

Revenue: Revenue is projected at $15,000 USD per year, with gross margins at $9,000 USD per year.

Revenue is derived from four areas: food contracts fulfillment, local market sale, solar charging station,

and water sales. The organization’s objective is to address the food security challenges of Northern Mali

and provide access to water and energy, while at the same remaining financially viable. To reach these

objectives, the pricing for each product/buyer is adjusted accordingly. 50% of the yield will be sold

through contracts at the global food price, however to compensate the buyer for bearing the risk of a

long term contract, the contract price per kg will be on the lower end of the world food price spectrum.

In order to ensure local consumers can afford the food, a 50% discount on the world food price will be

applied to 30% of the yield and sold at the local market. The remaining 20% of the yield will be given

free to the farmers to either consume or sell themselves for additional personal revenue. Revenue will

also be obtained through solar charging using the PVs when not in use for irrigation. Customers will

charged on a per kilowatt basis. Lastly, revenue will be charged on a per liter basis of the water that is

filtered and sold by the liter. (See Appendix I for revenue model diagram)

Capital and operating costs: Total capital costs amounted to $8,500. The capital costs for the Solar PV &

drip irrigation system include the equipment, installation, and training. In terms of the solar charging

and water services, capital costs include the upgrades needed to run the solar charging service as well as

the water filtration equipment and installation. Operating costs are based on the Stanford Benin project

and include inputs such as fertilizer, labor, and support technicians. Further costs relating to operating

the solar and water services were added. Total operating costs amounted to 6,000. See Appendix G for

all the costs and assumptions.

Financing: Capital will be raised mostly through development banks, such as the Asian Development

Bank, World Bank, and African Development Bank. Since food contracts will be obtained, the cost of

financing should be lower, or at least, will increase the likeliness of Solar for Life to obtain financing. To

support the local economy, a portion of the financing will also come from micro-finance in the area.

Alternative sources of financing could be obtained from impact investors, commercial banks or grants. A

5-year payback and conservative borrowing rate of 8% was used, although it is likely that the enterprise

would be able to negotiate a cheaper rate and more favorable terms if food contracts are secured.

Training and Maintenance: Training will be required for operating the solar drip irrigation system,

cultivating the new crops, running the solar charging station, and operating the water filtration system.

The initial training will be provided by an agriculture expert, solar PV expert, and water expert. Local

personnel with experience in agriculture, water management, and electricity will be recruited to work

on the farm for a one year contract to train and address any technical errors in the first year of

operations. An organizational chart is provided in Appendix J.

Implementation: The project will roll out in 5 phases. Each phase is described in Appendix K.

Measuring Impact: It is important to consistently evaluate the pilot’s effectiveness to decide whether to

replicate the concept in other parts of Mali. One framework is the planet, people, profit. Additionally,

metrics from IRIS can also be used. A list of suggested metrics can be found in Appendix L.

VII. Risks and mitigations

There are three key risks to Solar for Life which may impact the implementation. The first relates to

securing buyers through the food contract price agreements. If Solar for Life is not able to obtain buyers,

one alternative is to sell to a local market at slightly below the international food market cost at

$0.70/kg which would still yield a 17% internal rate of return. This alternative scenario can be found in

Appendix H. A second key risk is crop failure or technical breakdowns. To mitigate this risk, the first year

of the pilot would see two experts (one in agriculture and one in solar engineer) contracted to the

project to monitor its progress and immediately address any technical issues. After the first year, these

experts will have trained local staff to handle any issues that may arise. The last risk is that civil unrest

continues and threatens the safety of the farmers. Currently both fighting groups are in negotiations as

it comes closer to implement the project, political risk will need to be re-assessed. To prevent legal

repercussions of not fulfilling the food contracts due to civil unrest, a clause in the contract will be

written stating a renouncement of the contract if political risk deems the project unsafe to continue.

VIII. Recommendations

Food security is the most significant and pressing issue the country of Mali currently faces. The decline

in agricultural production is attributed to droughts and so by utilizing the country’s abundant solar

resources, Solar for Life can use solar powered drip irrigation technology to solve the nation’s food

needs. In order for Solar for Life to move forward, it must first obtain contracted food buyers. Next is to

identify farms and location for pilot and obtain quote for all equipment. Third is to obtain financing

through development banks and other funding avenues. Fourth is to assemble the team and purchase

equipment. Finally, the enterprise will set up and begin operations, with continual monitoring of results.

Appendix A: Imports and SWOT Analysis Detail

Approx. 10%

of Mali

import are

food staples.

Strengths

•Strong policy which favors solar electrification

•51% of country covered in desert. Geography means high exposure to sunlight than average country

•Largely agrarian society means enhancing agriculture practices will be embraced by community

Weaknesses

•Dependent on relatively new technology

•Technology will be imported, making shipment and tarrifs a concern

•Largely illiterate population which will need to be trained with technical skills

•Relationship with the aid orgainzations are important

Opportunities

•Extremely food scarce

•Agricultural improvements needed

•Access to energy and water is a problem

•Population growth will exxaccerbate resource scarcity

•Climate change will make irrigation a priority into the future, as droughts will become more common

Threats

•Civil unrest may continue despite the peace discussion currently going underway

•Risk of future civil unrest

•Withdrawal of food aid and development support given world ecpnomic downturn

Appendix B: Stanford Study

Key Points from the Study:

I. Jennifer Burney at Stanford University’s Program on Food Security and the Environment (FSE)

conducted a study in villages in northern Benin using Solar Drip Irrigation technology. Household

survey and field-level data in the first year showed that solar-powered drip irrigation

significantly augmented both household income and nutritional intake, particularly during the

dry season, and is cost effective compared to alternative technologies.xv

II. FSE published its findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in January

2010. Researchers found that income and nutrition have improved significantly for women and

their families since the project installed three solar irrigation systems in 2007. The study also

concluded that the project is cost-effective and environmentally sustainable. The systems

should pay for themselves in approximately 2.3 years; and they are durable, emissions-free, and

more economical over time compared with gasoline- or diesel-powered water pumps.

III. For the first time, women farmers in the rural villages of Bessassi and Dunkassa in northern

Benin were able to grow vegetables and fruits during the six month dry season, improving food

security and nutrition for themselves and their families. Farmers are also increasing their income

by selling excess crops in the market. Now entering its third year, the project has proved that

solar energy can provide long term solutions to hunger, malnutrition and poverty in developing

nations.xvi

IV. The farms enough returns for women to send kids to school or buy small business equipment

like a sewing machine or market stall. Burney believe the technology has become a ladder out of

poverty.

Demonstrated Impacts of the Benin Project:

Improved food security: altered local vegetable availability

Improved nutrition: In villages irrigated with solar-powered systems, vegetable intake

increased to three to five servings per day;

Improved income security: women earned an extra $7.50 per week from the sale of fresh

produce at the local market;

Empower Women: Reduced time spent collecting water for women;

Preserve the Environment: Prevention of greenhouse gas emissions from reduction in

inefficient agricultural practices;

Increase access to energy: Increased market opportunities for solar energy.

Appendix C – Technical Diagrams and Charts

Schematic of a solar

irrigation system. A

PV array powers a

water pump, which

fills a large concrete

reservoir; water is

then gravity-

distributed at a

pressure of 1–3.5 m

head through drip

irrigation lines.

Graph of the Stanford Benin pilot which

shows the planned and actual irrigation

delivered to crops in contrast to rainfall.

This data supports the fact that irrigation

will improve crop resiliancy and yields by

providing irrigiation in months when rainfall

lacks. Additional income can be generated

by selling solar power for cell phones or

other uses when rain irrigation is plentiful.

Months where the farms will

generate money the most and

when solar pumps will be most

utilized.

Figure 3 Source: http://www.pnas.org/content/107/5/1848/F1.expansion.html

Appendix D - Solar PV Requirements

The hydraulic energy required (kWh/day)

= 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 (𝑚³/𝑑𝑎𝑦) 𝑥 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑 (𝑚) 𝑥 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑥 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 / (3.6 𝑥 106)

= 0.002725 𝑥 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 (𝑚³/𝑑𝑎𝑦) 𝑥 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑 (𝑚)

The solar array power required (kWp) =

𝐻𝑦𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 (𝑘𝑊ℎ/𝑑𝑎𝑦)

𝐴𝑣. 𝑑𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑖𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 (𝑘𝑊ℎ/𝑚²/𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑥 𝐹 𝑥 𝐸)

where 𝐹 = 𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑦 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 = 0.85 𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒

and 𝐸 = 𝑑𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑠𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 = 0.25 − 0.40 𝑡𝑦𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦

Competing Technologies

i. Foot pumps – affordable but water cannot be generated at a large scale

ii. Diesel pumps – creates 10x amount as water pumps but are expensive, dirty, and need

maintenance

iii. Current solar pumps – expensive, at about $7,000

iv. SunWater pumps cuts cost about 80% to about $1,000 by concentrating solar radiation using

mirrors onto PVs to increase efficiency and power output. Also uses less expensive irrigation

hoses.

Figure 4 Drawing of a floating motor pump

Appendix E: Spider Framework Analysis

Cu

sto

mer

DemandEmergency state of food shortage

means high demand for food

KnowledgeAgriculture and technical

knoweldge provided by training from experts

Services

Low cost high nutrition produce

Solar charging and drinking water services

Finance

Food priced below market cost so locals can afford. Farmers will be

given produce for free

Competitive rates for solar charging and low cost drinking

water

Enterp

rise

Entreprenuer Team of CEO, agrologist

and solar engineer

TechnologySolar PV water pump

connected to power drip irrigation

Services

Provide reliable high nutrition food all year

round

Provide access to drinking water and solar charging

Finance

Development banks and micro finance

IRR of 23% per year through produce and

service sales

Appendix F - Mali map of water resources 1

1 Unicef Water, Sanitation and Hygene - http://www.unicef.org/wash/index_54332.html

Ideal pilot

farm

locations

Appendix G – Financial Analysis with Contracts

Appendix H – Financial Analysis without Contracts

Appendix I - Revenue Model and Yield Allocation

Solar for Life

Revenue Streams

Food Contract Sale (global food prices)

Local Markets (50% discount

from global prices)

Solar Charging (per kwh in

off-use)

Water Services (per

litre if available)

Food Contracts50%

Local Market30%

Own Farmers20%

Produce Yield Allocation by Customer (% of total)

CEO

Agrologist

Farm Manager

Farmers Farmers

Solar Engineer

Technical Assistant

Appendix J: Human Resources

Organizational Chart

Function and job role

•Created, oversee and manage entire projectCEO

•Contractor who specializes in African agriculture and drop irrigation techniques. Experience with development also needed.Agrologist

•Manage the day to day operations of the farm and solar/water services. Will also be trained by agrologist to take over role.Farm Manager

•Oversee the installation and maintenace of the PV system as well as understand water filtration technologySolar Engineer

•Assist engineer in running theall technical equipment onsite. This will be a local that will be trained to take over the engineer positionTechnical Assistant

Phase 1 -Contracts

•Secure food contract buyers. Through food aid organizations, governments or importers

Phase 2 -Set-up

•Choose farms and location for pilot

•Obtain buy-in from local community

•Obtain quote for all equipment and develop initial fund requirement

Phase 3 -Financing

•Obtain financing through development banks, grants, microfinance loans, impact investors, banks

Phase 4 -Equipment and Team

•Purchase equipment

•Assemble team

Phase 5 -Implement

•Setup and start operations in Mali.

Phase 6 -Monitor

•Monitor, report and revise and needed

Appendix K - Solar for Life Implementation Plan – 5 Phases

Appendix L. Measuring Impact on the Community

Endnotes and References i UNDP – International Human Development Indicators - http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/MLI.html ii UN Refugee Agency - Mali Emergency – Background. http://www.unhcr.org/pages/4f79a77e6.html iii Oxfam - Water scarcity causing food insecurity in Mali: http://www.oxfam.org/en/emergencies/west-africa-food-crisis/mali-water-scarcity-causing-food-insecurity iv Oxfam - Water scarcity causing food insecurity in Mali: http://www.oxfam.org/en/emergencies/west-africa-food-crisis/mali-water-scarcity-causing-food-insecurity v Oxfam – Food Security in Mali, April 23, 2013 http://www.oxfam.org/en/grow/pressroom/pressrelease/2013-04-25/northern-mali-communities-affected-food-crisis vi http://news.stanford.edu/news/2011/december/solar-drip-irrigation-120511.html

Improved food security:

Crop yields in kg

Consistency of produce over year

Water and solar useage for irrigation

Improved nutrition:

Vegetable intake increase

Cases of extreme malnutrion

Improved income security:

Extra earnings from farmers

Consistency of income over the year

Empower Women:

Time spent collecting water for women

Girls in school

Preserve the Environment:

Greenhouse gas emissions mitigated due to inefficient agricultural practices;

Emissions mitigated compared to diesel power pumping

Increase access to energy:

Amount of kwh of energy provided to community

Increase water access

Cases of cholera or other water illnesses

vii Mapping underground water sources for drip irrigation could change African village life, say Stanford researchers. Stanford Report, December 5, 2011, http://news.stanford.edu/news/2011/december/solar-drip-irrigation-120511.html viii MALI: Water has become a "luxury": http://www.irinnews.org/report/89956/mali-water-has-become-a-luxury ix Action Plan for Renewable Energy Promotion in Mali, IEA. 2007 x Water efficiency in agriculture: http://www.afedonline.org/water%20efficiency%20manual/PDF/6Chapter%205_Agriculture.pdf xi http://www.stanford.edu/group/solarbenin/solarirrigation.html xii Practical Action – Technical Brief. Stanford University http://www.stanford.edu/group/solarbenin/references/solar_pv_waterpumping.pdf xiii Calculating Drip Irrigation Schedules - Sonoma County. http://ucanr.edu/sites/scmg/files/30917.pdf xiv Solar PV utilization for irrigation is calculated as follows: (8 hours of sunlight in a day) x (60 minutes in an hour) x (365 days) = 175,200 minutes per year vs (75 minutes per day) x (6 days in a month) x (12 months in a year) = 5,400 minutes year. 5,400 / 175,200 = ~3% utilization xvProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), vol. 107 no. 5, Jennifer Burney. Solar-powered drip irrigation enhances food security in the Sudano–Sahel, December 14, 2009 xvi http://self.org/archive-benin/