Standing beside rows of solar panels overlooking his farmland, Sattar Jabar Mhoda, 36  remembers how difficult it once was to keep his crops alive.
“Previously, we suffered from water shortages,” he explains. “We also had to depend on diesel fueled machinery.”
For farmers across southern Iraq, agriculture is becoming increasingly challenging. water scarcity, rising temperatures and growing production costs place considerable pressure on rural households whose incomes depend on the land. Irrigating their lands using conventional diesel-powered pumps also means recurring fuel expenses, frequent breakdowns and required maintenance and pollution.
For Sattar, these challenges affected not only the productivity of his farm, rather the livelihood of his family, and his ability to continue cultivating the land.
With support from the Government of Japan, through UNDP’s project “Strengthening Conflict-Sensitive and Peace-Positive Climate Action in the Southern and Euphrates Region of Iraq”, a solar-powered irrigation system and modern irrigation technologies were introduced to help farmers secure water more efficiently and reduce their dependence on diesel.
The change was immediate.
“The solar-energy system has made a real difference compared with before,” Sattar says. “There is no longer the hardship. You simply press a button and the system begins operating.”
The provided support provides farmers with a cleaner and more reliable source of energy (Solar Systems) and solar powered irrigation. 
It reduces expenditure on fuel, and machinery maintenance this resulted in savings that can instead support farmers’ and families livelihoods and agricultural activities.
“What we previously spent on diesel and maintenance now remains in our pockets,” he explains. “We have also avoided the breakdowns and repair costs that came with the old machinery.”
The intervention has helped improve the efficient use of increasingly scarce water resources. Combined with modern sprinkler irrigation, the solar system allows water to be applied more carefully, reducing unnecessary losses while supporting agricultural production.
“The sprinklers help us irrigate without wasting as much.”
The impact can be seen in the land itself. Areas that had struggled because of water scarcity are being cultivated again, encouraging other farmers to reconsider the future of their farms.
“The land is becoming green again,” he says. “This encourages other farmers when they see the difference.”
Across the targeted governorates, the project installed 155.6 kW of solar-powered irrigation capacity alongside modern irrigation technologies, supporting agricultural land and contributing to an estimated reduction of 218 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent each year. Beyond these figures, the intervention is helping farming families protect their livelihoods, lower production costs and adapt to increasingly difficult climatic conditions.
The farmer now encourages others to make the same transition.
“I advise farmers to move towards solar energy because it is beneficial,” he says. “It can operate whenever the sunlight is available, and it does not create the pollution caused by conventional machinery.”
For Sattar, solar energy represents more than a new irrigation technology. It means lower costs, cleaner air, more efficient water use and renewed confidence that farming can continue despite growing environmental pressures.
His experience demonstrates that climate action becomes most meaningful when it improves people’s daily lives, helping farmers remain on their land, protect their livelihoods and cultivate a more resilient future.
“We thank the Government of Japan, and everyone who contributed to this humanitarian project”
About the Project:
The project “Strengthening Conflict-Sensitive, Peace-Positive Climate Action in the Southern and Euphrates Region of Iraq” is implemented by UNDP Iraq under UNDP’s Climate Promise – From Pledge To Impact – programme, with the support of the Government of Japan through the Japan Supplementary Budget. It responds to intensifying climate pressures in southern Iraq, particularly water scarcity, soil salinity, land degradation, and energy insecurity, which threaten agricultural livelihoods, food security, and community stability. The initiative promotes scalable, evidence-based solutions that link climate resilience with peacebuilding and sustainable development.
About UNDP’s Climate Promise 
In 2021, UNDP launched a new phase of Climate Promise – From Pledge to Impact – aimed at translating NDC targets into concrete action. 
Japan is the largest supporter of this phase and joins longstanding partners such as Germany, Sweden, the European Union, Spain, and Italy and new partners such as the United Kingdom, Belgium, Iceland, and Portugal to accelerate these efforts.”
Japan considers that the climate crisis is a threat to all humanity and, in cooperation with UNDP, leads countries to accelerate their climate action.
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