Almost twelve solar energy panel of 3,600 watts have electrified remotely located villages of Ziarat district of Balochistan. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET) have collaboratively installed the solar energy panel systems which has also electrified six schools and six mosques in selected villages.
According to sources with the successful implementation of this solar energy initiative, some of the least developed villages of Balochistan province in Pakistan have been facilitated with provision of solar generated electricity, benefiting around 123 local households.
The systems installed have a combined electricity generation capacity of 3,600 watts. The first system was recently made operational at Bara Zizri village. PCRET also provided technical support in installation of the systems and training of local residents in its operation.
To ensure proper maintenance and management of the solar panel system, IUCN has established community based Management Committees in the target areas. Remote villages of Ziarat district are devoid of electricity connectivity, access to which in most cases is difficult and expensive.
People have been traditionally using Juniper wood and kerosene oil lamps to illuminate their homes. This collaborative endeavour forms part of IUCN Pakistan's project 'Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Production Systems of Juniper Forest Ecosystem Project'. The project helps conserve the world's second largest Juniper reserve through participatory support for ecological sustainability and provision of alternate livelihoods and production opportunities.
The Juniper Project Manager, Ghulam Qadir Shah at IUCN shared that various such interventions have been planned under the project, such as provision of fuel-efficient stoves and solar geysers. He said that solar energy resource needs to be tapped and promoted, especially in areas where wood from natural forests is used as energy source, such as Juniper forests which are considered as 'living fossils' (Juniper forest trees in Ziarat area are 2,500 years old and take centuries to grow). He further added that Pakistan has a great potential in using solar energy, as the country gets abundant sunlight throughout the year.
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