Rising Land Conflicts in India and Bangladesh Threaten Solar Energy Expansion
India and Bangladesh are accelerating efforts to expand solar power as part of their climate and clean energy goals. However, this ambitious shift is meeting resistance, with land conflicts increasing as rural communities push back against renewable energy projects encroaching on agricultural land. In both countries, smallholder farmers, herders, and local communities are demanding fair land use and compensation, complicating plans for solar growth.
India’s Solar Growth and Land Disputes
In 2022, Modhera, a village in Gujarat, became India’s first fully solar-powered village with a 6-megawatt (MW) solar plant and a battery storage system, providing power for its 6,000 residents. However, the project sparked protests as locals lost 50 acres of grazing land, prompting farmers to file a legal case seeking compensation. Modhera’s case is one of 25 active land conflicts tied to renewable energy projects in India, impacting over 30,000 people, according to Land Conflict Watch.
India’s rapid solar expansion aims to generate half of its electricity from renewables by 2030, but the competition for land, especially in the semi-arid south and west regions, is putting pressure on pastoral and smallholder farming communities. Environmental advocate Mudita Vidrohi noted that these regions host millions of pastoralists who rely on common land for their livelihoods, creating direct competition between community needs and national solar goals.
India and Bangladesh Faces Protests Over Agricultural Land for Solar Projects
Bangladesh, where solar power accounts for only 4.5% of electricity generation, aims to increase its renewable capacity to 30% by 2030. However, land procurement challenges are hindering these goals. A fragmented land ownership system complicates assembling large, contiguous plots necessary for solar installations, and in many cases, using agricultural land has met resistance from local farmers.
In the southwestern district of Barguna, a 200 MW solar project was halted following local protests over the use of multi-cropping land. A new government policy now prohibits solar projects on land that supports multiple harvests, with agriculture employing 40% of the population. Bangladesh’s Brac University researcher Rohini Kamal stressed that engaging local communities in planning renewables projects is essential to achieve solar growth that benefits all stakeholders.
Solutions and the Path Forward: Land Banks and Sustainable Planning
To address these challenges, India is looking at innovative solutions like “land banks” to support renewable energy projects. Land banks aggregate private and public land designated for development, offering a way to secure space for renewable projects without encroaching on high-value agricultural areas. However, some ecologists caution that using wastelands for energy production could impact biodiversity and livestock fodder availability.
India’s renewable energy capacity grew over 200% in the past decade, driven largely by solar projects. Yet, as land scarcity intensifies, finding suitable areas for renewable infrastructure could limit future growth. The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) recently warned that India may face significant land conflicts if it attempts to meet its ambitious target of 7,000 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy by 2070.
Addressing land disputes and ensuring that communities benefit from renewable projects will be critical if India and Bangladesh are to meet their green energy targets without sacrificing agricultural land and local livelihoods.
With inputs from Reuters