DHAKA, July 29, 2026 — Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo has stressed that agrivoltaics can play a vital role in expanding renewable energy while preserving agricultural production, but said food security, farmers’ rights, environmental protection and equitable benefit-sharing must remain at the heart of every agrivoltaic initiative.
Addressing the National Agrivoltaics Workshop: Exploring Local Action Models for Inclusive Growth in Bangladesh in Dhaka on Wednesday, the minister said the country must adopt innovative solutions that allow agriculture and clean energy generation to coexist on the same land.
The workshop, held at The Westin Dhaka, brought together government officials, researchers, technology providers, financial institutions, development partners and business leaders to discuss the opportunities and challenges of agrivoltaics in Bangladesh.
Mintoo said Bangladesh is increasingly vulnerable to climate change impacts, including floods, cyclones, salinity intrusion, droughts, extreme heatwaves and changing rainfall patterns, all of which are placing growing pressure on agriculture, water resources, infrastructure and rural livelihoods. At the same time, demand for reliable and affordable energy continues to rise.
He noted that under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0), Bangladesh aims to generate 25% of its energy from renewable sources by 2035. Given the country’s limited land resources and high population density, he said large-scale solar projects must be designed carefully to avoid competing with productive agricultural land.
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Calling agrivoltaics a promising solution, the minister said properly designed systems allow solar photovoltaic installations and farming activities to operate simultaneously. Such projects can generate clean electricity while maintaining crop cultivation, reducing water evaporation, improving irrigation efficiency and creating additional income opportunities for farmers.
He also highlighted that Bangladesh’s Renewable Energy Policy 2025 recognises agrivoltaics as a potential renewable energy source. However, he stressed that meaningful agricultural production must continue under every project and that solar panel height, spacing and design should support, rather than hinder, crop cultivation.
The minister emphasised that farmers must remain at the centre of agrivoltaic development. He warned that projects should not deprive farmers of access to their land or leave them with only limited financial benefits while others reap the rewards. Instead, agrivoltaic investments should protect agricultural livelihoods and provide farmers with stable, long-term additional income.
Mintoo also said electricity generated through agrivoltaic systems could support solar-powered irrigation, cold storage, crop drying, food processing and other productive rural activities. Decentralised energy systems, he added, would strengthen the resilience of communities in areas with limited access to reliable electricity.
Referring to climate finance, the minister said expanding agrivoltaics would require viable financial and business models. Mechanisms such as Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) could provide additional carbon financing, provided that environmental integrity, transparency, additionality, proper monitoring and the avoidance of double counting are ensured in line with Bangladesh’s emerging national carbon market framework.
The workshop was chaired by Acting Environment Secretary Dr Fahmida Khanam and jointly organised by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and HSBC Bangladesh, with support from the Department of Environment, Terra Japan and the Bright Green Energy Foundation.
Representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Embassy of Japan, JICA, the Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JBCCI), research organisations, financial institutions, the private sector and development partners also attended the event.
