OffgridSun – Strengthening the Resilience of Rural Communities Affected by Drought Due to El Niño (Zimbabwe)

A case study on the OffgridSun project in Zimbabwe, which installed solar-powered water pumping systems to mitigate the effects of El Niño-induced droughts in rural communities.

• The OffgridSun project installed nine solar pumping systems to mitigate drought risks and improve water access in arid areas of Zimbabwe. Each system consists of a 1.1 kW submerged hydraulic pump, a supporting structure, and 11 PV modules of 260 W, featuring a Bluetooth monitoring system for remote control and engine management.
• The project had a total cost of EUR 890,000, funded by a EUR 846,000 grant from AICS and approximately EUR 44,000 in equity provided by COSV, ActionAid Zimbabwe, and LEAD.
• Implementation of the solar pumping systems benefited 350 people by improving water access and created new income generation opportunities related to water management for about 135 people across two districts. Additionally, the project led to an average increase of 15% in the productivity of growing vegetables and cereals over a 3-year period.

APA

Alliance for Renewable Electrification (2021). OffgridSun – Strengthening the Resilience of Rural Communities Affected by Drought Due to El Niño (Zimbabwe). https://renewelec.org/case-study/offgridsun-strengthening-resilience-rural-communities-affected-drought-due-el/

Chicago

Alliance for Renewable Electrification. OffgridSun – Strengthening the Resilience of Rural Communities Affected by Drought Due to El Niño (Zimbabwe). 2021. https://renewelec.org/case-study/offgridsun-strengthening-resilience-rural-communities-affected-drought-due-el/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Alliance for Renewable Electrification |title=OffgridSun – Strengthening the Resilience of Rural Communities Affected by Drought Due to El Niño (Zimbabwe) |date=26 February 2021 |url=https://renewelec.org/case-study/offgridsun-strengthening-resilience-rural-communities-affected-drought-due-el/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{allianceforrenewableelectrification2021offgridsun, author = {{Alliance for Renewable Electrification}}, title = {{OffgridSun – Strengthening the Resilience of Rural Communities Affected by Drought Due to El Niño (Zimbabwe)}}, institution = {Alliance for Renewable Electrification}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://renewelec.org/case-study/offgridsun-strengthening-resilience-rural-communities-affected-drought-due-el/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }