As recently reported through other communication channels, the new Sun4Water program has started this year. The program’s full title is “Sun4Water programme – Promotion of climate-friendly, water- and energy-efficient small-scale solar irrigation systems”. As a contribution to the international initiative Water and Energy for Food (WE4F), Sun4Water is implemented by GIZ through the Regional Innovation Hubs in East and West Africa. The program’s funding is provided by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and was approved last year in a letter dated 14 November.
Among the implementing countries: Togo
On site, Sun4Water activities are implemented in synergy with the following projects and programmes with the support of the GIZ country office: the Climate-Smart Agri-Food Systems Programme (ProSAC) and the Decentralised Energy Supply Project in Togo (Pro Energie) With a view to boosting the already existing collaboration and specifying its contours for the months and years to come, an introductory mission of the Sun4water program in Togo was conducted from September 25th to October 3rd 2023 by Stephane Lako Mbouendeu, Regional Coordinator of the Program for West Africa with the technical support of the PROSAC and PRO-ENERGY projects staff.
The objectives of this mission were to present the Sun4water program, introduce discussions with the country office and partner projects to better understand the processes. There were also discussions around short- and medium-term joint actions (2024-2025), as well as joint monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. The mission was also an opportunity to visit educational institutions that are considered partners for the development of human resources capacities, training and the development of specific training curricula on small-scale solar irrigation systems. Also, benchmarking with various partners on possible synergies and collaborations in the implementation of the Sun4water program in Togo became easier thanks to being on the ground.
Promising partnerships on the horizon
In addition, the on-site meetings mobilized two further GIZ partner projects, PROFINA and PROCOMP, as well as:
- two clusters active at GIZ Togo
- the Resident Director
- the Administrative and Financial Director
- the Portfolio and Cluster Manager
- an umbrella organization of farmer organizations (CTOP)
- eight partners working in renewable energies (SAER, PF-PERT, EDM, MIVO-ENERGIE, ENERGA Afrique, M-POWER, KYA ENERGY, TRANSTECH AFRICA)
- five major policy actors (ATA, ICAT, DAEMA, AT2ER, DGE)
- three vocational education institutions (INFA, CFIJ and CPIA)
- and a vocational training program (PF-PERT)
Rich and fruitful discussions guided towards synergies over the first three workstreams of the Sun4water program: i) the development of human resources and training center capacities, ii) the strengthening of the entrepreneurial and business capacities of the private sector on the value chain of solar energy irrigation systems, iii) policy dialogue on regulatory and non-regulatory barriers to the promotion of small-scale solar irrigation systems and (iv) networking of local stakeholders and further development of SPIS toolbox.
These synergies pave the way for the acceleration of the program’s activities in Togo and augur positive changes in the solar irrigation systems ecosystem for the benefit of farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises in Togo. With this in mind, the Sun4Water program is looking forward to the upcoming cooperation with all GIZ partner projects.
