Discussion on papers 32-37

Dr D. e'. WRIGHT (Sir William Halorow and Partners) : I should like to describe the solar pumping project mentioned in paragraph 8(v) of Paper 3. The overall objective of this UNDP-funded project is to investigate ways in which solar pumping technology should be developed in the future, in order to provide an economic, robust, reliable and appropriate means of pumping water under the conditions which prevail on small farms in the developing world. The systems being developed are deliberately limited to those which pump up to 3 1/s and up to 10 m head, ie systems with a hydraulic power output 50-500 W. The UNDP, the World Bank and ourselves believe that such systems will meet the need of the large number of smallholders with farms of 0.5-3 ha - provided the total costs can be reduced to less than US 5c/m3.