The Guatemala’s rural population have limited resources, high vulnerability to climate change, traditional agriculture practices and adversely affected by water scarcity. These problems engender the need for further economic development and imposed pressure on the existing water resources. In response, Rain Water Harvest (RWH) is the measure as an alternative source towards water shortage problem and a decrease in groundwater extraction. However, the identification of optimal sites for RWH is an important step to maximize the amount of water harvested and minimize the ecological impact. In this study, an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to determinate optimal sites using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in order to integrate spatial information. Physical and socio-economic features were main decision criteria along with six sub-criteria: potential runoff; land use; soil texture; slope; distance from agricultural land; and distance from roads. In the investigation, several different criteria with different AHP structures were utilized to assess the flexibility of structures. The result maps with respect to different criteria and AHP structurs are overlaid in a systematic scheme to identify the most suitable site for RWH project. The results identified four sites as optimally suitable and eight as highly suitable. The total 424,070.81 m³ volume of water can be potentially harvested from these optimally and highly suitable sites. The study area comprised of 770.61 km² of Guatemala northeastern region and it is suggested that the RWH system for agriculture purpose should be promoted through government and multistakeholder co-operations as an alternative water resource.

Sun drying in the open air is quite popular worldwide. However, the use of solar dryers to preserve various perishable agricultural products is a relatively new area of study, and the long-term effects of this method are not yet fully understood. The slow drying process in direct sunlight can contaminate the dried materials by soil and insects. To overcome these challenges, we devised a sun drying system that included a heating part, a drying area, a portable stand, fans, and a 50-W photovoltaic panel. An alternate energy source was used to power the drying process during cloudy days and at night. Fresh Freestone peach, Golden apple, and Anaheim chilies weighing 10 kg each with the initial moisture content of 89%, 87%, and 75% on a wet basis (w.b), respectively, were used in the experiments. The final moisture content of the samples was reduced by an average of 16%, 15%, and 11% for Freestone peaches, Golden apples, and Anaheim chilies, respectively. The quality analysis was carried out to determine sample composition, total bacteria, and color of dried products. The results indicated that the dried products met the recommended quality standards for food products in terms of composition, total bacteria, and color. This research supports the use of a hybrid mixed-mode solar dryer for drying a wide range of perishable agricultural products.

This study devised a practical solution to mitigate urban inundation and artificial recharge of groundwater using recharge wells which is the most viable surface runoff rainwater harvesting (RWH) technique in urban areas. The Rainwater Harvesting Pilot Project at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore was established to deal with urban flooding, artificial recharge of groundwater, and to avoid the mixing of rainwater in municipal sewerage. The study showed that Lahore city has great RWH potential from critical ponding roads that can be utilized to recharge the Lahore aquifer. With that ratio of recharge, the groundwater level can rise to 3.54 ft after every monsoon period if the same recharge wells structure are used, which is a key to groundwater sustainability in Lahore city. Moreover, the maximum recharging capacity of wells was 29.32 m³/h with satisfactory performance. Both recharge wells cleared the ponding volume within 3 to 3.5 h after the rainfall stopped. The filter media performance was also favorable with 25%–30% removal of contamination. All the water quality parameters were within the permissible limit against prescribed standards except coliform count that indicated the presence of sewage. In such a case the mixing of charcoal is recommended to shut up the coliform signals. This study identified that RWH using recharge wells is an alternative freshwater supply source for sustainable development of Lahore city and this technique should be the part of Master Planning and Policy Decision of Lahore as a suggestion.

Pakistan faces water scarcity and high operational costs for traditional irrigation systems, hindering agricultural productivity. Solar-powered irrigation systems (SPIS) can potentially provide a sustainable and affordable solution, but face technical, financial and policy barriers to adoption. A comprehensive study is needed to examine feasibility and identify barriers. Therefore, a comprehensive review study is conducted to identify the potential for solar irrigation, key issues and challenges related to its implementation in Pakistan. The analysis is based on published studies, technical reports and a survey of solar-powered drip irrigation systems. The use of SPIS in Pakistan is becoming a cost-effective and sustainable option for irrigation, particularly in remote and off-grid areas. However, these systems also have their challenges, such as high initial costs, maintenance and repairs, limited access to spare parts, lack of government policies and regulations, lack of technical expertise, lack of financing options and social acceptance. The most pressing issue is the risk of groundwater exploitation by using SPIS. Based on the analysis of the energy and water situation in Pakistan, it is important to sustainably use both solar energy and groundwater resources, through the implementation of effective management strategies and policies. With the right policies and investment in research and development of SPIS and groundwater, farmers can benefit by increasing crop yields, conserving water resources, reducing the cost of energy, increasing productivity and improving the standard of living and access to electricity in remote and off-grid areas. It is recommended that the adoption of solar energy be promoted to run high efficiency irrigation systems (HEIS) with urgent capacity improvement among farmers, advisors and system installers to sustainably manage water resources in SPIS. This would not only help to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and associated environmental impacts, but also increase farmers’ income and reduce their operational costs. Moreover, the use of SPIS can improve crop yields, leading to food security and poverty reduction. Thus, the government and policymakers should consider implementing policies and incentives to encourage the large-scale adoption of solar energy in the agricultural sector.