Increasing demand for agricultural crops has put an increased strain on limited freshwater resources in Jordan and Palestine. The area currently has shortages in freshwater and an abundant supply of saline water which has not been utilized for agriculture due to the economics associated with pumping and desalinization mainly from limited availability to electricity and high running cost of the alternative diesel generators. Continued improvements in the costs associated with the implementation of large-scale renewable energy has renewed interest in understanding the potential impacts of developing distributed desalination and pumping station for agriculture.
This study, conducted as part of the Further Advancing a Blue Revolution Initiative (FABRI), integrates geographically resolved data with historical meteorological data to critically evaluate the feasibility and impact of the deployment of renewable energy systems for water pumping and desalinization on agriculture production. Specifically the project includes the following activities:
This project seeks to improve agricultural production and productivity through: