ReGen-R8

Rural areas in Lebanon face a combination of severe agro-environmental, climatic, and socio-economic challenges that threaten agricultural productivity and community resilience. Chronic electricity shortages and the high cost of diesel have made water pumping unreliable and unaffordable, limiting irrigation and reducing food production. Water scarcity, worsened by climate change, inefficient irrigation practices, and deteriorating infrastructure, further pressures local ecosystems and groundwater resources. Farmers and rural households struggle with declining income, rising operational costs, and limited access to sustainable technologies, creating a cycle of vulnerability. These combined challenges highlighted the urgent need for an integrated WEFE solution that could provide reliable energy, efficient water management, climate-resilient agriculture, and ecosystem support.

The project aimed to develop a fully integrated WEFE-oriented solution that delivers reliable clean energy, efficient water pumping, improved food production, and ecosystem-friendly practices for rural communities. ReGen-R8 was intentionally designed to target all four WEFE dimensions through solar-powered energy systems, optimized irrigation, sustainable agricultural methods, and circular-economy innovations such as recycled plastic agrivoltaic structures. The project’s objectives were shaped through ongoing consultations with farmers, cooperatives, and rural stakeholders to ensure the solution addressed real needs. With 10 deployed units already supporting 4 cooperatives and more than 35 farmers through our rental model, the demonstrator aligns its goals with practical community realities. In the short term, the project aims to secure dependable electricity, reduce diesel dependence, and enable affordable irrigation. In the long term, it seeks to enhance climate resilience, regenerate ecosystems, improve rural livelihoods, and create a scalable model for replication across the Mediterranean.

To address the identified WEFE challenges, the ReGen-R8 project deployed 10 solar-powered energy and water pumping units across rural areas in Lebanon, supporting 4 cooperatives and over 35 farmers via YY ReGen’s rental model. Each unit delivers reliable electricity for irrigation and other farm operations, reducing dependence on diesel generators and improving water access. Alongside the hardware, we implemented an IoT-enabled monitoring system and software platform, allowing real-time tracking of energy production, water usage, pollution reduction, and system performance, enhancing operational efficiency and data-driven decision-making.

The project followed a phased approach: it began with installing solar energy and water pumping systems to ensure immediate access to clean energy and irrigation. Once the energy and water infrastructure were operational, food production activities were supported under the solar panels, including sustainable crop cultivation with guidance for farmers on optimized agricultural practices. Finally, ecosystem-focused interventions were introduced, such as the use of recycled plastic agrivoltaic structures to improve soil health, reduce environmental impact, and support circular economy principles.

Parallel soft interventions included farmer training, cooperative capacity-building sessions, and workshops on sustainable water and energy management. This integrated approach ensured that technical solutions were matched with knowledge transfer, creating a sustainable model for community adoption and resilience.

The ReGen-R8 demonstrator has delivered measurable results across all four WEFE dimensions. Energy-wise, the 10 deployed solar units collectively generate approximately 30 MWh of clean electricity annually, replacing diesel use and reducing around 180 tons of CO₂ emissions. With government approval for decentralized units, multiple farmers can now benefit simultaneously from a single system, and excess energy can be sold to neighboring households, increasing local energy access and economic benefits.

Water management improvements include more efficient irrigation while reducing pressure on local water resources and improving crop reliability. Food production has increased for more than 35 farmers by 30% and extra food has been preserved by 4 cooperatives. Ecosystem benefits arise from sustainable agrivoltaic practices, including the use of recycled plastic structures, which enhance soil health, support biodiversity, and reduce environmental degradation.

The project objectives were largely achieved, successfully providing reliable energy, improving water use efficiency, enhancing agricultural productivity, and promoting ecosystem-friendly practices. The most successful areas were energy provision and irrigation efficiency, while ecosystem interventions could be scaled further for broader biodiversity impact.

Beyond technical outcomes, ReGen-R8 has generated greater socio-economic and policy impacts. It strengthened rural community resilience, built the technical and operational capacities of farmers and cooperatives through training, and established a replicable model for sustainable agriculture in Lebanon and the Mediterranean. The project has informed local stakeholders and municipal discussions about decentralized renewable energy solutions for rural communities. International recognition through awards such as the Food System Challenge (WFP), PepsiCo, CIHEAM, Osaka 2025 Best Practice award, and Berytech further validates the project’s impact, credibility, and potential for replication.

The ReGen-R8 project has demonstrated that decentralized, integrated WEFE solutions can be sustainable, scalable, and replicable across rural contexts in the Mediterranean. The rental model, combined with decentralized government-approved units, ensures financial sustainability while maximizing community access to energy and water services. Technical integration of solar energy, efficient irrigation, agrivoltaic crop production, and IoT monitoring proved effective in enhancing resource efficiency and agricultural productivity.

Key lessons include the importance of community engagement and stakeholder consultation: involving farmers, cooperatives, and local authorities from the outset ensured adoption, appropriate system sizing, and operational success. The project also highlights that combining hardware solutions with soft interventions such as training, capacity building, and operational guidance is critical for long-term sustainability and replication.

The initiative has shown strong potential for scaling up and replication: the modular, decentralized design allows additional units to be deployed across other regions or countries, with units serving multiple farmers or selling excess energy to neighboring households. Policymakers can leverage these lessons to support decentralized renewable energy adoption, water-efficient irrigation systems, and sustainable farming practices within national agricultural and rural development strategies. 

ReGen-R8 thus provides a practical blueprint for implementing the WEFE Nexus approach, demonstrating tangible economic, environmental, and social benefits while being adaptable to different Mediterranean and semi-arid contexts.