Pave irrigation technology

My solution is committed to reduce methane gas emissions by reducing Paddy flooding periods through drawdowns of water from flooded paddies in Budalan'gi flood prone zones, it will also prevent Paddy fields being submerged to death (frequently occurs) due to bigger magnitude floods currently experienced due to climate change, as excess waters will be injected underground for irrigation use during dry months.

My proposed solution is installation of pave irrigation technology that injects excess water underground during periods of rain and floods, for irrigation use during dry months.

If scaled globally, my solution will contribute to sustainable development goals through reduction of greenhouse gases, improved food security due to  improved yields, improved livelihoods following availability of nutritious food and employment opportunities for smallholder farmers.

Budalan'gi town in western Kenya borders lake Victoria to the west,and river Nzoia to the south, due to climate change, the town that is prone to floods is experiencing worst ever recorded floods in history, displacing thousands of households and reducing food security by submerging and killing rice paddies, the only domestic food farming and economic income generating activity in the area.

The resident population is approximately 85,977 according to the 2019 Kenya population and housing census, with 99 percent of livelihoods being affected, reducing household and global food security, and increasing poverty levels in the area.

Availability of excess flooding waters on rice paddies causes the death of the grain, using pave technology to inject excess water underground during rainy season and floods will not only allow rice to grow to maturity, it will allow all year round Agriculture, following availability of irrigation waters during dry months. Farmers can also plant any cash/food crops following excess flooding waters that does not support other forms of Agriculture being removed and availability of irrigation waters.

The technology will also help reduce methane gas emissions globally through water drawdowns from rice paddies.

Pave irrigation technology is a German originated rain water harvesting, aquifer recharge irrigation technology that injects excess water underground during rainy season and floods. This will help small scale farmers in Budalan'gi inject water underground, and only leave water that supports the growth of the grain in rice paddies, this will prevent death of the grains caused when excess flood waters submerge and kill the rice grain.

Pave technology will also help in reducing methane gas emissions by enabling farmers to drawdown water from rice paddies at alternating intervals which reduces methane production and release.

The technology stores between four to four million litres of water underground in the soil for approximately 180 days, assuring farmers approximately six months of irrigation, ensuring continuous rice production even in dry months.

Pave irrigation technology plays a key role in increasing crop yields, conserving water and creating a source of income for small holder farmers in flood prone communities.

Farmers are able to increase the variety of crops on their farms and produce higher yields, resulting in improved household and global food security as well as improved incomes opportunities, contributing to sustainable development goals.

My solution is working to improve livelihoods of approximately 87 thousand residents of Budalan'gi flood plain,in western Kenya, who plant rice on their flooded farms, for both domestic and economic purposes, but on many occasions, due to climate change, the flood magnitude is big, submerging the grain, leading to no harvest, reducing household and global food security, and increasing poverty levels as they have no alternative source of income generating activities.

Through Community visits and interviews, the residents live in camps for a better part of the year, below poverty levels, struggling to get a single meal per day, with evidence of malnutrition in children.

According to them, rice farming is a very profitable source of livelihood and they only need help to deal with excess water that kills the crop yearly since 2019, following bigger flood magnitude. They also need a solution for the water not to submerge their homes and displace them during rainy season, as well as reduction in methane gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

Pave technology will address their needs by injecting excess flood water underground , allowing rice paddies to grow to maturity, improving food security and creating employment opportunities, it will also ensure homes are kept dry for normal domestic purposes.

It will also reduce methane gas emissions by alternate drawdowns of water from paddies to reduce methane gas production and emissions.

Rice, Budalan'gis main food and economic crop is submerged and killed by floods of higher magnitude, leading to loss of livelihoods, food insecurity, increased poverty levels and increased methane emissions.

Pave irrigation technology will help in flood mitigation by injecting excess flood waters in the soil, allowing the grain to grow to maturity, improving livelihoods by creating employment opportunities and improving food security to the flood prone Community.

The harvested water will be used for irrigation during dry months to allow year round rice production.

The technology will also reduce methane gas emissions by alternate water drawdowns from Paddy fields.

During the March-April floods in Budalan'gi, the technology was tested using locally available materials, on a 10 acre piece of flooded Paddy, owned by 40 Community member group, and it was effective, as Paddy in the other flooded fields got submerged and died, the Paddy in the pilot project grew to maturity and produced good yields, currently as Budalan'gi is experiencing little rains, the community group is using pave irrigation technology to irrigate their farms.