Renewable Energy can bring Revolutionary Changes in Food Security in the Himalayan Region
New Delhi: Experts have said that the use of renewable energy can bring revolutionary changes in food security in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. This was stated by experts at a conference organized by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre, Nepal. The conference was organized on the subject of “Enhancing Productive Use of Renewable Energy in Agriculture in the Hindu Kush Himalaya.
According to ICIMOD, the conference saw the participation of development partners, members of civil society, environmental experts, representatives from the private sector, and government officials from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. More than 100 participants took part in it. Experts said, Increasing temperatures pose a threat to food security in the HKH mountains. Traditional irrigation methods and limited access to energy are hindering agricultural productivity in these high-altitude regions.
The HKH region spans up to 3,500 kilometers and extends to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. They said that clean energy – hydro, solar, biomass, and wind – is abundantly available in the HKH.
What are the benefits of renewable energy:
- Improvement in irrigation: Farmers can irrigate their crops more efficiently using pumps powered by solar and wind energy.
- Agricultural processing: Solar energy can be used to process and preserve food items, reducing wastage.
- Improvement in market access: Farmers can transport their products to the market more easily using refrigerators and transportation powered by solar energy.
- Increase in income: Farmers can earn additional income by selling or using renewable energy technologies.