Abstract:
Solar-powered irrigation Systems (SPIS) are critical for agricultural production
enhancement, food security and climate change adaptation, especially in Arid
and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL). There is increased attention towards shifting to more
abundant and cleaner energy potential sources for revitalising irrigation strategies in
ASAL areas. This study employed a geospatial approach to identify suitable locations
for solar-powered irrigation systems (SPIS) in Baringo County, Kenya. Based on an
integrated use of GIS spatial analysis and analytical hierarchy procedure (AHP),
suitable locations for solar-powered irrigation were mapped. Precipitation, irrigated
areas, proximity to rivers, slope, and solar radiation were analysed and processed
to derive spatially explicit SPIS suitability classes ranging from very low to very
high suitability. The thematic layers were assigned weights based on Saaty’s AHP
method, where weights for each factor were determined from a pairwise comparison
matrix, and a Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) approach was used to derive
the final suitability classes for the county. The findings reveal that approximately
58% of Baringo County falls within the moderately suitable category for SPIS
implementation, while 24% of the area demonstrates high suitability. In contrast,
only 0.8% of the county’s land area was classified as either very low or very high
suitability. These results offer critical insights for guiding spatially informed planning
and investment in suitable, solar-powered agricultural infrastructure within the
region. Furthermore, the findings of the study contribute to the ongoing initiatives
on the expansion of irrigable land using low-cost and innovative technologies such
as SPIS to put marginally arable land under productive use in Kenya
